Don’t Buy the Spin: Republicans Want To Do Damage Control Around Data Centers, But Their Record of Rubber-Stamping Trump’s Agenda Speaks for Itself
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Washington, DC – As public support for data centers continues to plummet, Republicans are scrambling to do damage control for their support of data centers ahead of the November midterms. According to new AP polling, 53% of Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the environmental impacts of AI, up 12 points from last year. In response to public backlash against AI data centers, President Trump’s pollster released a playbook for how Republican candidates should spin their position, but don’t buy it.
Climate Power Senior Advisor Jesse Lee issued the following statement: “Republicans are in a PR crisis for their record on data centers and are now trying to spin their way out of it. They have voted to lavish data centers with tax breaks, fast-track them past community objections and environmental review, and even ban their own states from passing common-sense guardrails. As long as Trump wants to ‘let Data reign’ and is using his DOJ and EPA to ram data centers through without any guardrails, Republicans will continue to give Big Tech a blank check to build gas and coal-powered data centers that spike electricity prices and create a new epidemic of air pollution. Trump is wildly out of step with the American people on data centers, and Republicans cannot hide their record of rubber-stamping his agenda.”
REMINDER: Trump and Republicans have given Big Tech a blank check to build gas and coal-powered data centers that spike electricity prices and pump dangerous toxins into our air.
- Republicans gave tax breaks to Big Tech companies in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, helping supercharge their massive data center expansion.
- The House GOP passed their SPEED Act to fast-track data centers past environmental review and community objections.
- The original House version of the Trump budget bill would have even banned states from passing their own guardrails on AI and data centers.
- Trump is out of step with the American people on data centers and is advocating to ‘let Data reign’ while ramming data centers through without any guardrails.
- In December 2025, the Trump administration established a data center team within the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, aimed at helping companies skirt protections as part of the administration’s AI push.