Rapid data center expansion incites backlash in Republican stronghold

Home Shows Focus To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Cover image: Focus © France 24 05:40 Issued on: 15/09/2026 - 17:05 From the show With just a couple months to go until the US midterm election, a new political fault line is emerging in Republican strongholds across Texas driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. According to an analysis by the Texas Tribune, nearly 60 percent of planned new data centers are set to be built in congressional districts that voted for Donald Trump in 2024. But the AI boom is now sparking a backlash from some of the voters who helped put him back in office. Pierrick Leurent and Valérie Defert have this report.