Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) called out China’s “desperation” to derail America’s AI lead on Monday, as President Donald Trump said Beijing “could not be happier” watching Americans reject data centers, warning that communities doing so risk becoming “backwards and poor.”
‘Americans Won’t Be Fooled’
Lummis said in a post on X that it is no surprise the Chinese Communist Party is “working overtime” to derail America’s AI lead, calling it “a clear sign” of “desperation” and nervousness.
Lummis shared an Axios report citing X’s Safety team’s findings that a bot farm of roughly 200,000 suspected Chinese accounts included 200 posting content designed to “manipulate a legitimate debate about American AI and energy policy.”
“Americans won’t be fooled,” Lummis added. “We will win the AI race.”
Trump Doubles Down on Data Centers
Trump escalated his own data-center advocacy Monday, warning on Truth Social that communities rejecting the facilities risk being “backwards and poor,” while those that embrace them will be “successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place.”
“China could not be happier with this anti-Data Center movement,” Trump said, adding, “if we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame.”
Former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene mocked Trump’s stance, saying, “Good luck winning the midterms now,” while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Americans opposing data centers “have every right to be concerned.”
The Opposition to Data Centers
A survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania earlier this month found that 61% of Americans now oppose new data centers in their area, up sharply from 49% just four months earlier.
A separate YouGov poll found that just 24% of Americans view data center construction as good for the country, while 47% say it’s bad, and 62% believe a new data center in their community would raise their electricity bills.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Joey Sussman on Shutterstock.com
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