AI industry pours $265M into US midterms as data center backlash spreads

AI companies are spending heavily on the November US midterm elections, with the industry directing a reported $265 million into the races, as opposition to data centers grows in communities across the country. The Independent's Josh Marcus reports that President Donald Trump entered the debate on Monday with a Truth Social post saying the only reason communities should not want data centers is if they want to end up backwards and poor. He called the facilities a Golden Goose and accused critics of being in the pocket of China. The president had reportedly seen polling showing that Americans largely oppose data centers. A recent Economist/YouGov poll found that just 14 percent of Democrats and 31 percent of Republicans think new data centers are good for America. Trump's Cabinet has echoed his position. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently claimed that data centers do not use water, which contradicts widely available evidence and his own comments last year that the facilities suck water. The spending comes as Big Tech has ramped up investment in US data centers that underpin the AI boom, while backlash has intensified over concerns including the risk of higher electricity costs. The dynamic makes life tougher for Republican candidates in tight races who must reconcile the president's stance with local opposition.