Trump urges more data center construction as public opinion sours on issue

Published August 19, 2026 4:51pm ET



President Donald Trump pushed back on national opposition to data center construction Wednesday, saying that if he were a state or local politician, he would “absolutely” want them to be built in his community.

The president was joined by tech executives at the White House, where he fielded a question on the subject. Trump said the growth of artificial intelligence, which data centers help power, is “going to create a lot of jobs and tremendous innovation.”

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