AI data centers contain the computing infrastructure that powers and trains artificial intelligence systems from companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic. The construction boom has triggered opposition in many areas over potential impacts such as rising electricity bills, added strain on the power grid, significant water consumption, and other neighborhood issues.
Gallup reported in May that a survey conducted in March found "seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area, including nearly half, 48%, who are strongly opposed."
Dissent has spilled into public demonstrations. On Monday, July 27, 2026, Sue Ellen Davis of Angleton protested at the Capitol before a Texas Senate Committee on Finance hearing in Austin, voicing opposition to data center expansion.
Nearly a week before Trump's post, the National Republican Senatorial Committee circulated an Aug. 18 memo warning, "If voters' perceptions of data centers are not fixed quickly, the campaign against them will expand far beyond Ohio." The memo also stated that "the current perception is negative."
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"Ohio is one of the leaders in building these AI factories," the memo said.
The November midterms will determine control of Congress. As of now, Republicans have a slim edge in the House, and the Senate's balance is 53-47.
Wolfe Research wrote on Aug. 28, "In nearly every meeting with investors over the past month or so, we've been asked: How is the voter backlash against data centers going to play out?" The firm added, "The pace and scale of the backlash is genuinely breathtaking - we've never seen anything like it," noting, "We've seen 60-point drops in net support for local data center (DC) construction across party lines over the past 12 months."
