Trump says U.S. communities opposing AI data centers could end up 'backwards and poor'

US President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Aug. 10, 2026.Jim Watson | Afp | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump on Monday blasted communities that oppose new data centers as Republicans confront voter backlash over the projects ahead of November's midterm elections."The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post."If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign," the president said. "The good news is that there are plenty of other places that want them. If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame. China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement. Actually, they can't believe it is happening!"Trump's post comes nearly a week after a memo issued by the National Republican Senatorial Committee warned, "If voters' perceptions of data centers are not fixed quickly, the campaign against them will expand far beyond Ohio." The NRSC said that private polling in that state shows Republican Sen. ...