Trump defends AI data centers at Ohio rally as crowd goes quiet

October 4, 2026 at 11:17 PM2 min

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President Donald Trump defended AI data centers at a campaign rally in southwestern Ohio on Saturday, telling the crowd they cannot be turned off or they will go to China. The crowd, which had been enthusiastic about other policies, was far more muted during his remarks on data centers. Trump is on a 32-day blitz ahead of the Nov. 3 elections, with Ohio hosting a top-tier Senate race.

Key Facts

Trump defended data centers at a rally in southwestern Ohio on Saturday, saying they cannot be turned off or they will go to China.
The crowd was far more muted during the data center remarks than during other policy discussions.
Trump is on a 32-day campaign blitz ahead of the Nov. 3 elections, with stops in Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Ohio.
Ohio Senator Jon Husted, appointed to fill JD Vance's vacancy, is running to win the seat outright against former Senator Sherrod Brown.
Senate GOP campaign chair Tim Scott said the Ohio race is now dead-even, calling Husted a closer.

Data Center Defense

Trump spent several minutes at his Ohio rally promoting his administration's action on data centers, saying he sought to ensure they benefit local communities. He praised Republican Senator Jon Husted for an ill-fated attempt to push forward legislation on the issue. Trump repeated his defense that data centers bring money to Ohio and cannot be turned off, or they will go to China. The crowd's reaction was notably quieter during these remarks compared to other topics.

Ohio Senate Race

Data centers have become a toxic political issue in Ohio, drawing bipartisan opposition over electricity prices, farmland, and water supplies. Husted has been repeatedly attacked for his role in attracting data centers to Ohio as lieutenant governor. Democrats see Ohio as a key race to win control of the Senate, with former Senator Sherrod Brown trying to return after losing to Bernie Moreno two years ago. Senator Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said the race is now dead-even and called Husted a closer.