Trump’s AI Warning Puts Data Center Fight in the Spotlight
President Trump is warning that efforts to slow artificial intelligence and the data centers that power it could carry major consequences for America’s technological competition with China.
In comments and social media posts this week, Trump argued that the United States cannot afford to fall behind in the AI race, declaring, “Whoever wins AI wins.” His remarks come amid a growing national debate over AI development, regulation and the massive infrastructure buildout needed to support it.
That debate should also include scrutiny of the organized campaigns working to block data center development across the country.
“This isn’t a debate about whether communities should ask legitimate questions about development, it’s about asking who benefits when paid propaganda hampers American innovation,” said Daniel Turner, Founder and Executive Director of Power The Future. “Our report documented the money and the coordinated playbook behind the political machine opposing data centers.”
Earlier this year, PTF’s Manufactured Outrage report examined environmental organizations and major donors involved in data center opposition campaigns across at least 24 states. According to the report, more than 54 moratoriums and 300 pieces of legislation had been advanced while tens of billions of dollars in proposed projects faced disruption.
Trump’s latest comments put those fights into a larger context. Data centers require enormous computing capacity, electricity generation and supporting infrastructure. The policy question is increasingly not simply where those facilities are built, but how quickly the United States can expand the physical infrastructure required to compete in AI.
As the President put it, the stakes extend well beyond any single project: America’s position in the global AI race is on the line.
September 14, 2026