During a campaign rally in Ohio on Saturday, President Trump emphasized the importance of rapidly developing large data centers as he encouraged attendees to support Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections. He cautioned that hindering these tech projects would give an advantage to China.
“There’s so much money to be made for Ohio. You can’t just turn them off. They’ll go to China,” Trump stated at the rally near Dayton, urging voters to back Republican Senator Jon Husted and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Trump frequently asked the crowd to think of him as being on the ballot for the November 3 midterms, saying, “Please pretend that I’m on the ballot, and you need to turn out for a midterm victory.”
He characterized his administration’s efforts as taking “historic action” to ensure that the large tech firms associated with data centers would provide benefits to local communities.
Linking the rise of data centers to the global competition in artificial intelligence, Trump claimed that the U.S. is currently leading China in this area, which he referred to as “superintelligence.”
Trump expressed confidence, saying that China “doesn’t want to see us,” and asserted, “We’re beating China” in technological advancements while advocating for the continued operation of data centers in the U.S.
Simultaneously, he supported legislation introduced by Husted aimed at preventing data centers from driving up electricity costs and ensuring they bear their own expenses.
Trump noted that nearly every Senate Democrat had voted recently against this measure.
He promised that if Republicans succeed, he would sign the Ratepayer Protection Act into law “immediately within 24 hours.”
The increase in data center construction has generated bipartisan concerns as communities confront the significant electricity, water, and land demands these facilities entail.
A prevailing issue is determining who should bear the costs for the necessary infrastructure to support these projects.
Utilities may have to develop new power plants, substations, and transmission lines, raising worries that these expenses could ultimately result in higher bills for households and businesses.
Resistance has also emerged regarding water consumption, noise, and the expansive land use of these facilities, particularly in residential areas or regions with limited water resources.
Critics question the considerable state and local tax incentives for facilities that are costly to construct but employ relatively few people after the building phase is complete.
This political scrutiny has led officials in several states to reconsider the incentives and expedited approvals that were previously used to attract the technology industry.
Some states have paused tax incentives or permitting processes, while others have advocated for special utility rates and requirements designed to ensure developers cover a greater share of the costs related to their sites.
Trump’s trip to Ohio followed visits to Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama, as part of what he described as a 32-day tour leading up to the midterms.
