Trump warns data center backlash risks US AI edge over China

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
President Donald Trump warned Monday that growing public opposition to data centers threatens US economic competitiveness and risks ceding AI leadership to China. He urged communities to embrace data center construction, linking it to lower taxes and job creation. The remarks come ahead of a planned White House visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.
Key Facts
- Trump said communities that oppose data centers risk becoming 'backwards and poor' in a social media post Monday.
- The president linked data center construction to 'far lower taxes and jobs all over the place'.
- Trump said China 'could not be happier' with the anti-data center movement in the US.
- The remarks come ahead of a planned White House visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.
Trump's Warning
President Donald Trump warned that a growing public backlash to data centers in the US poses an economic threat to communities that oppose new infrastructure needed to power artificial intelligence. He said the opposition risks giving China the upper hand in the AI race. Trump made the remarks in a social media post Monday.
Economic Argument
Trump said the only reason communities should not want data centers is if they want to end up being 'backwards and poor'. He urged communities to embrace data centers to become 'successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place'. The president added, 'If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame.'
China Context
Trump pushed data centers as a significant measure to counter Chinese dominance. He said China 'could not be happier' with the anti-data center movement. The remarks come ahead of a planned White House visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.