Backlash Against AI Data Centers Is Real, Organic, Widespread

Recently, Republican political operatives have been sounding the alarm about the bad politics of data centers. Data centers have become politically toxic, and the polling makes it undeniable. More than 70% of Americans oppose building a data center in their neighborhood.

Opposition to data centers is about more than their costs or the nuisance

This isn’t only about energy costs, water usage, aesthetics, or noise. The American people are worried about artificial intelligence replacing human beings. They don’t want technology companies to build superintelligence. And they fear more loss-of-control incidents that could lead to financial losses, national security threats, or even human extinction caused by a novel biological weapon.

Republican operatives are catching up to something I’ve been saying for months: AI is the sleeper issue of the 2026 midterm elections. The question now is, what should Republican elected officials, operatives, and candidates do about it?

Republicans need to show that they hear the American people, and that they support meaningful safeguards on AI. 

As a lifelong conservative and longtime Republican strategist with deep ties to the grassroots base of the party, I have observed a few important things about this widespread local opposition to data centers. It is real, organic, and present in cities, suburbs, and rural areas of the country. The opposition transcends traditional political divides. I haven’t seen something like this since my days as an early Tea Party organizer in 2009. 

Back then, it was clear to me that there was a growing national movement happening across America, and that the people taking to the streets in protest were issue-driven and angry at both political parties for ignoring them. I see that dynamic building around AI data centers now.

Why data centers have become provocative things

People feel like they are being forced to accept massive new buildings that might drive up energy costs, reduce the value of their land, and provide only temporary jobs. They believe the companies building the data centers are not being transparent with their intentions. It is clear that people do not trust the Silicon Valley entities building the data centers, and they do not trust Big Tech in general.

The skepticism runs deeper than data centers. The American people are worried about AI’s impact on jobs, their children’s education, and the U.S. financial system. They don’t want to see autonomous AI agents replace human beings. They want to see AI used as a tool that increases human flourishing. 

Until the people see AI as a boon, not a bane,…

But that is not the path we seem to be on, with AI threatening jobs, going rogue, exacerbating our mental health crisis, and negatively impacting our children. Until the American people are confident that AI and the data centers that power them will benefit rather than degrade society, they will continue to take to the streets in protest. They will show up at town halls. They will demand that Big Tech provide real transparency. And they will push for enforceable laws and safeguards that these companies have promised for decades but never delivered.

All the money in the world from Big Tech and their allies in Washington, D.C., won’t make a difference. Only a real and sustained demonstration that we are on the right path will do that.

That is the work required by Republican elected officials and candidates in the weeks ahead. The Republicans who get this right will be the ones who are rewarded in November. 

This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.