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    Axios TechnologyWednesday, September 2, 2026 3 min read
    AI

    "Let data reign": Trump and AI investors wage campaign to save data centers

    With midterms 9 weeks out, Trump publicly backed data center expansion despite 61% of Americans opposing new facilities in their communities, including 54% of Republicans. The AI industry is running a more strategic parallel campaign, wi…

    Key takeaways
    • 01Investor Gavin Baker outlined a six-part economic case — covering water use, property taxes, union jobs, ratepayer protections, energy sourcing, and community revenue — amplified by Jensen Huang and other tech leaders.
    • 02Democrats are already using Trump's aggressive posture to frame AI infrastructure as a billionaire-imposed project, complicating Republican candidates who had been quietly distancing themselves from the issue.
    • 03Trump's intervention risks undermining the industry's more measured persuasion effort at a critical political moment.

    With midterms 9 weeks out, Trump publicly backed data center expansion despite 61% of Americans opposing new facilities in their communities, including 54% of Republicans. The AI industry is running a more strategic parallel campaign, with Build American AI deploying a $50 million war chest in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin through a new super PAC. Investor Gavin Baker outlined a six-part economic case — covering water use, property taxes, union jobs, ratepayer protections, energy sourcing, and community revenue — amplified by Jensen Huang and other tech leaders. Democrats are already using Trump's aggressive posture to frame AI infrastructure as a billionaire-imposed project, complicating Republican candidates who had been quietly distancing themselves from the issue. Trump's intervention risks undermining the industry's more measured persuasion effort at a critical political moment.

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