Trump says AI data centres should pay ‘dividends’ in pre-midterm shift

US president has continued to support data centres in advance of midterms, despite growing opposition from Republicans.Published On 21 Oct 202621 Oct 2026United States President Donald Trump has said AI data centres should pay “dividends” to communities, in a shift before the midterm elections.“If companies want to make their Data Centers popular, pay the community, and/or individuals within the community, a ‘dividend'” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump launches midterms campaign blitz amid record low approval ratingslist 2 of 3Trump defiant about midterm chances as he rallies for Republicans in Ohiolist 3 of 3California Gov Newsom boosts AI regulation as he eyes 2028 presidential runend of listThe president’s comments come after he doubled down on his support for data centres, a stance seen as one of several political liabilities for Republicans in the run-up to the midterm election, as Trump’s approval rating has hit record lows.Polls show dismal support for such centres amid concerns about the sprawling complexes’ water and energy use.In the post, Trump advised companies that they could make the centres popular ...