Trump says tech giants should pay American communities a 'dividend' to win over sceptical opponents of AI data centres

President Donald Trump moderated his tone after warning in August that communities rejecting data centres risked becoming 'backwards and poor'. The projects have become a notable source of tension ahead of November's midterm elections, attracting opposition from voters across the political spectrum. An AP-NORC poll found roughly six in 10 Americans back restrictions on new construction. Some Republicans have already shifted their stance.

Trump's Truth Social post ended with a rallying cry: 'MAKE DEALS, and get them built!!!'

He repeated his call for developers to generate their own electricity and channel any surplus back to local communities.

Urban areas account for 87 percent of existing US data centres, yet most planned sites are in rural locations.