A MAGA congressman on Monday thumbed his nose at President Donald Trump by deadpanning that he must be "backwards and poor," flinging Trump's own insult right back at him.
Trump lashed out at communities resisting the construction of AI data centers in a Truth Social post, suggesting that anyone who opposes the sprawling facilities prefers poverty.
"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," the president raged.
When MeidasTouch reporter Pablo Manríquez asked MAGA Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett for a reaction, the Republican didn't hesistate.
"I guess I'm backwards and poor," Burchett told Manríquez.
The 61-year-old congressman pressed further, insisting the massive facilities belong on military bases and blasting officials for bungling the public rollout.
"I think what we need to do is start putting those in military installations and places like that, and they've done a poor job of educating the public on those things," Burchett said.
"They're just 'oh, we're for them, and then you should be for them' kind of thing," he added. "We should have brought everybody to the table."
Trump's inflammatory remark puts him at odds with the country.
A June Reuters/Ipsos survey found that nearly eight in 10 Americans are concerned AI-powered data centers will send electricity bills soaring. A Gallup survey released in May found seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of an AI data center in their local area, with 48 percent strongly opposed.
Backlash has rattled Republicans, with a National Republican Senatorial Committee memo warning that data centers have become "the anchor hanging around" Sen. Jon Husted's neck in Ohio, where former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown has aired ads branding him "the face of data centers in Ohio."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) offered her own attack, telling MeidasTouch, "How about we put one in Mar-a-Lago?"
"We'll see how backwards and poor he is in response to that," she jabbed.
Trump warned in his post that defying the facilities only helps the country's adversaries.
"If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame," he wrote. "China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement."
PabloReports: What do you make of Trump saying Americans who oppose data centers are backwards and poor?
Burchett: I guess I’m backwards and poor… pic.twitter.com/mwCxIQHWdx
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 31, 2026