Trump says AI information centres ought to pay ‘dividends’ in pre-midterm shift | Donald Trump News

US president has continued to assist information centres upfront of midterms, regardless of rising opposition from Republicans.
Published On 21 Oct 2026
United States President Donald Trump has stated AI information centres ought to pay “dividends” to communities, in a shift earlier than the midterm elections.
“If corporations wish to make their Data Centers widespread, pay the group, and/or people inside the group, a ‘dividend’” Trump stated in a submit on Truth Social on Wednesday.
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The president’s feedback come after he doubled down on his assist for information centres, a stance seen as certainly one of a number of political liabilities for Republicans within the run-up to the midterm election, as Trump’s approval ranking has hit file lows.
Polls present dismal assist for such centres amid considerations in regards to the sprawling complexes’ water and vitality use.
In the submit, Trump suggested corporations that they might make the centres widespread in the event that they “pay the group, and/or people inside the group, a ‘dividend’.”
“I’ve watched the method carefully, and Data Centers that have been extremely unpopular in a sure space, have develop into extraordinarily widespread when a monetary deal is struck,” he stated. “MAKE DEALS, and get them constructed!!!”
Several high Republican candidates have opposed information centres earlier than the midterm polls, with the difficulty rising as an space of uncommon bipartisan consensus upfront of the November 3 vote.
Republican Senate candidates, together with Ken Paxton in Texas, Mike Rogers in Michigan and John Husted in Ohio, have all referred to as for extra restrictions and oversight on the centres, in a reversal of earlier positions.
The difficulty featured prominently in a current debate in Iowa, the place Republican Senate Candidate Ashley Hinson stated the native degree ought to resolve whether or not to construct AI information centres.
Despite the shifting sentiment, Trump in late August issued an impassioned defence of knowledge centres, decrying what he referred to as “the anti-Data Center motion” as a present to China.
“The solely cause that communities all through the USA shouldn’t need Data Centers is that if they wish to find yourself being backwards and poor,” Trump wrote on the time.
“If they wish to achieve success and wealthy, with far decrease taxes and jobs in every single place, let Data Reign.”
Trump has taken a number of measures to speed up information centre improvement, together with issuing an govt order final 12 months that referred to as for measures to fast-track allowing and environmental overview. The order promised to make use of federal land for the “expeditious and orderly improvement of knowledge facilities”.
Trump has additionally backed a voluntary pledge by AI corporations to cowl the total value of the electrical energy information centres use, however has prevented supporting legally binding federal restrictions.
A Gallup ballot performed in March recommended that 71 % of Americans opposed establishing AI information centres of their areas.
An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos ballot launched on Wednesday recognized an identical fee of disapproval, with 72 % of respondents saying that they opposed constructing new information centres of their communities.
