# Trump to Communities Opposing Data Centers: Stay Poor Trump lashed out at communities fighting data centers, calling them 'backwards and poor'. - **Source:** [Gizmodo](https://brifing.si/source/63382431-cef0-4c41-883e-2f88dc21351e) - **Published:** 2026-08-31 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/c780df38-c8fa-41af-97b4-da95b38d1746 ## Trump's Harsh Remarks Donald Trump accused communities opposing data centers of being 'backwards and poor' in a Truth Social post. He claimed data centers bring wealth and that resistance to them benefits China. These comments were seen as one of the clearest examples of Trump's disdain for the public. ## Public Backlash According to Pew Research, 71% of Americans oppose data center construction in their communities—a higher rate than opposition to nuclear plants. Even Truth Social users criticized Trump's stance. One user commented, 'AI is evil; the world will regret it in the long run.' ## Energy Concerns Residents near data centers complain about skyrocketing electricity bills. One user said, 'We’re against our electric bills shooting up and water supplies dwindling.' States negotiate differently with data centers, but public energy costs are often ignored. ## China Allegations Data center investors claim China is behind the protests but provide no evidence. Two Utah groups sued Kevin O’Leary for defamation. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott admitted Chinese propaganda isn’t the main driver of opposition. ## JD Vance's Spin Vice President JD Vance tried to soften Trump's remarks, stating data centers are vital for the AI economy but must contribute to the grid. 'If data centers give back to the grid, they wouldn’t be so controversial,' he said. ## Energy Policies Vance noted that 99% of backlash stems from high utility bills and urged companies to leverage deregulation to boost energy capacity. His remarks highlight tensions between energy and tech sectors. ## Historical Context Protests against data centers are rising in the U.S. 2026 polls reveal deep public distrust. Similar opposition occurred with nuclear and coal projects, but data centers' energy consumption is far higher. ## Future Implications Trump’s comments may erode his rural voter base, where energy costs drive opposition. If companies don’t address grid contributions, protests will likely escalate, with political and economic repercussions. ## Sources covering this story - https://gizmodo.com/trump-to-communities-fighting-data-centers-have-fun-being-poor-2000805020 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._