Trump calls data center critics 'backwards and poor'
Republican congressman Tim Burchett pushes back on former president's remarks as public opposition to AI facilities grows.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Congressman Tim Burchett, a Trump ally, broke from the president on promoting the construction of AI data centers across the country (Getty)
Photograph: The Independent (US) (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Donald Trump stated that communities opposing AI data centers would become 'backwards and poor.'
- Republican Rep. Tim Burchett responded that he must be 'backwards and poor' for his apprehension.
- Public opposition to AI data centers is high, with polls showing over 70% of Americans against them.
- Democratic candidate Frank Kloucek called for a one-year moratorium on AI data center development.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 6 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 7 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
55/100
Craft
55/100
Hype
25/100
7 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 6 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Former President Donald Trump stated that communities opposing the construction of artificial intelligence data centers would end up 'backwards and poor.' Republican Representative Tim Burchett, who has often allied with Trump, responded that he supposed he was 'backwards and poor' for being apprehensive about the facilities. Burchett told a reporter that the public had been poorly educated about the data centers and that more local control was needed.
Trump encouraged communities to accept large data centers, which are massive computing facilities that power AI. He wrote on Truth Social that those who want to be 'successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place' will 'let Data Reign.' He also warned, 'If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame.'
Concerns about data centers include their use of energy and water, potential strain on the electrical grid, and impact on local economies and the environment. A March Gallup poll found 71% of U.S. respondents opposed AI data centers in their communities. A Fox News poll in July found 70% of respondents opposed them, including 53% of MAGA Republicans.
Frank Kloucek, a Democratic candidate for the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, called for a one-year moratorium on AI data center development. He stated that South Dakota should not become a testing ground for billion-dollar AI data centers while families and farmers are left wondering who will pay the bill. Kloucek said large data centers can require enormous amounts of electricity and water and may necessitate costly new infrastructure.
Disagreement on data center impact
Donald Trump asserted that communities opposing data centers would become 'backwards and poor,' and that those who want to be 'successful and rich' will 'let Data Reign.' The Independent reported that Trump also said those who oppose data centers help rival China. Dakota Free Press reported that Kloucek stated data centers may impoverish rural communities and that ratepayers should not be forced to subsidize private developments.
What the coverage left out
None of the left or centre-rated reports mentioned the National Republican Senatorial Committee memo warning Senator Jon Husted of Ohio that the politics around data centers could impact his election, as reported by The Independent. The unrated report from whereisthebuzz.com did not mention the Gallup or Fox News poll findings on public opposition to data centers.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 4 times, most recently on 1 Sept 2026, 19:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
4 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports focused on Republican Representative Tim Burchett’s response to Donald Trump’s remarks. The Independent and Raw Story highlighted Burchett’s statement that he must be 'backwards and poor' for opposing data centers. The Independent also included a quote from Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggesting a data center be built at Mar-a-Lago. Heatmap.news reported Trump’s statement that data center opponents 'want to end up being backwards and poor'.
Centre
2 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports highlighted Donald Trump’s statement that opponents of AI data centers want to be 'backward and poor.' Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija reported Trump’s assertion that opponents would become 'backward and poor' and help rival China. Dakota Free Press focused on Democratic candidate Frank Kloucek’s call for a one-year moratorium on AI data center development, stating that data centers may impoverish rural communities and that ratepayers should not subsidize private developments.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Trump calls data center critics 'backwards and poor'?
- Of the 6 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 67% are rated left, 33% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 7. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Trump calls data center critics 'backwards and poor' left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 6 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Trump calls data center critics 'backwards and poor' biased?
- Trump calls data center critics 'backwards and poor' is one event reported by 7 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Trump calls data center critics 'backwards and poor'?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Trump calls data center critics 'backwards and poor'?
- 7 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did Donald Trump say about people who oppose AI data centers?
- Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that the only reason communities would not want data centers is if they 'want to end up being backwards and poor.' He also said that those who want to be 'successful and rich' will 'let Data Reign.'
- How did Republican Rep. Tim Burchett respond to Trump's comments?
- Republican Rep. Tim Burchett, who has often allied with Trump, responded to the former president's remarks by saying he supposed he was 'backwards and poor' for being apprehensive about AI data centers. He also stated that the public had been poorly educated on the topic.
- What is the public's opinion on AI data centers?
- Public opposition to AI data centers is high. A March Gallup poll found 71% of U.S. respondents were opposed, and a July Fox News poll found 70% of respondents opposed them, including 53% of MAGA Republicans.
- What action has been proposed regarding AI data center development?
- Frank Kloucek, a Democratic candidate for the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, has called for a one-year moratorium on the approval and development of new AI data centers in South Dakota. He argued that ratepayers should not subsidize private developments.
Read it at the source
7 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
4- MAGA lawmaker calls himself ‘backwards and poor’ for opposing data center push (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- MAGA lawmaker calls himself ‘backwards and poor’ for opposing data center push (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- MAGA rep flings Trump smear back in his face: 'Guess I'm backwards and poor' (opens Raw Story in a new tab)
- Trump Says Data Center Opponents ‘Want to End Up Being Backwards and Poor’ (opens heatmap.news in a new tab)
heatmap.news — is heatmap.news biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
2- Trump: Opponents of AI Data Center Construction Want to Be 'Backward and Poor' (opens Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija in a new tab)
- Man of the People: Kloucek Supports One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers; Trump Out of Touch (opens Dakota Free Press in a new tab)
Dakota Free Press — is Dakota Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
1How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
