President Donald Trump is mounting an increasingly vocal defense of data centers as polling shows the issue becoming a liability for Republicans, and insiders say he's stuck on the issue because his economic promises have yet to materialize elsewhere.
The 80-year-old president has called data centers the "Golden Goose," warning on Truth Social that communities rejecting them risk becoming "backwards and poor," and a senior White House official told Politico Playbook that Trump is aware of the polling but feels compelled to make his case anyway.
"Polling isn't necessarily great on data centers, but it's incumbent upon us to explain our position," the official said.
The reality is that data centers, not the reshored factories Trump has long promised, are the clearest sign of construction activity in an otherwise sluggish economy, according to an ally.
"Trump is married to data centers no matter what because it's the only real job creator," a former administration official said.
Republicans including Michigan's Mike Rogers and Texas's Ken Paxton have distanced themselves from data centers amid local backlash, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott paused new approvals — a move Trump called "a mistake," but the president has said he won't punish Republicans who break with him.
A July Politico poll found support for data centers among 2024 Trump voters fell from 45 percent to 34 percent in six months, a decline that Trump ally Steve Bannon has said is more than an economic dispute.
"It's far deeper than electrical bills — it's about the 'Broligarchs' who overplayed their hand and overstayed their welcome," Bannon said, calling it a "wedge issue for the populist right."
However, industry insiders are worried that Trump's message has been insufficient in turning around public sentiment because he has failed to offer "a well thought-out plan at the national level," such as a profit-sharing proposal, to slow the erosion in support.
"I think it is a significant marker — of panic," said an industry executive. "Short of major economic incentives, I think the backlash will get worse — not better."
Silicon Valley investor Jason Calacanis, on the other hand, predicted a swift reversal once voters have cast their ballots.
"Right after the midterms, politicians will flip their positions back to being pro growth and pro data center," Calacanis said. "They just have to make it past November."