'Data centers are the goose that lays the golden egg — if you kill it, that's on you'

US President Donald Trump presides over an announcement on reducing medical costs at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Monday (local time). [EPA]
US President Donald Trump presides over an announcement on reducing medical costs at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Monday (local time). [EPA]

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US President Donald Trump lashed out Monday (local time) at residents opposing data center construction — a cornerstone of the AI industry — warning they would "become poor," The New York Times reported.

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that "the only reason an American community would not want a data center is because they want to be underdeveloped and poor," adding that communities seeking "success and wealth, low taxes and lots of jobs" must allow the data industry to flourish.

Trump also warned that opposition to data centers could allow China to pull ahead in the AI race. "If you kill the goose that lays the golden egg, that's on you," he wrote, adding that "there is nothing China would love more than this data center opposition movement."

The remarks reflect his frustration with growing public resistance to data center construction across the country.

Trump has maintained that AI will deliver significant benefits to the US economy and national security, but opposition to data centers has been rising even among conservatives, driven by concerns over higher electricity bills, increased water consumption and environmental damage.

Backlash has also spread against local governments that have approved data centers despite their massive power demands. Recall campaigns targeting locally elected officials who supported data center projects are underway in more than 10 cities and regions across the United States.

The issue is emerging as a flashpoint in November's midterm elections, with both Democratic and Republican candidates using their opponents' support for data centers as attack material on the campaign trail.

Internal documents from the National Republican Senatorial Committee show that data center construction has become a liability for Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio). Democratic candidates are spending millions of dollars on attack ads portraying the projects as his responsibility.

In the Wisconsin governor's race, meanwhile, a Republican candidate has produced attack ads targeting a Democratic opponent over past statements favorable to data centers.


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