Trump suggests opposition to data centers a 'mistake'

Data centers are large warehouses that contain the physical storage devices for digital information.

By Ben Whedon

Published: August 7, 2026 9:31am

President Donald Trump on Friday spoke in favor of data centers and contended that communities that ban them would miss out on economic benefits,

Data centers are large warehouses that contain the physical storage devices for digital information. Lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum have voiced concerns over their potential to increase local energy costs or cause environmental damage.

Trump, for his part, seemed to be in favor of their construction.

“I saw Texas the other day sort of against data centers. I think it’s a mistake,” he said to Punchbowl News. “I just think it’s a mistake because there are other communities that want it. When a community wants it, it means a lot of money is going to come into that community.”

Several major states, including New York and Texas, have moved to pause data center construction in favor of studying their long-term impacts before approving more.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.