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Trump links data centers to prosperity, warns against opposition

Former president argues communities rejecting facilities risk economic decline and benefit China.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

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Trump links data centers to prosperity, warns against opposition

What this story says

  • Former President Donald Trump stated that communities opposing data centers risk becoming 'backwards and poor'.
  • Trump argued that communities wanting to succeed and be rich should embrace data centers, calling them a 'golden goose'.
  • He suggested that opposing data centers could benefit China in the race for AI leadership.
  • A majority of Americans oppose the construction of data centers in their local areas, according to a 2026 Gallup survey.

Who covered it

Left 63%(10)Centre 31%(5)Right 6%(1)

Percentages are shares of the 16 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 2 of the 18 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

42/100

Craft

57/100

Hype

41/100

18 sources · methodology

Missing from the right

Only 1 of the 16 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.

A reader who follows the right would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.

Former President Donald Trump has voiced strong support for data centers, asserting that communities rejecting these facilities risk economic stagnation. He stated that opposition to data centers means communities want to be "backwards and poor." Conversely, Trump argued that communities aiming for success and wealth should embrace data centers, which he described as a "golden goose."

Trump also suggested that opposition to data centers within the United States could benefit China. He linked the development of data centers to prosperity and economic growth, while framing rejection of the technology as detrimental to American competitiveness, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence.

Disagreement on opposition

While former President Trump linked opposition to data centers with a desire to be 'backwards and poor', a 2026 Gallup survey cited by Forbes indicated that a majority of Americans oppose the construction of data centers in their local areas. Politico noted this statement comes amid growing bipartisan concerns over the cost of such projects.

What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated digests mention the 2026 Gallup survey on American opposition to data centers. None of the centre-rated digests mention Trump's specific claim that opposing data centers could benefit China. None of the right-rated digests mention the 2026 Gallup survey on American opposition to data centers.

Coverage settled. We checked this 78 times and stopped on 5 Sept 2026, 23:00. The figures above are what it finished at.

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

10 rated outlets

  • The left-leaning outlets led on Donald Trump's defence of data centres. They reported that he warned communities opposing them would become "backwards and poor". Several outlets noted his claim that "China could not be happier" about such opposition.
  • The digests stated that Trump called data centres a "golden goose" and that communities would be "successful and rich" with "far lower taxes and jobs" if they embraced them. He also urged communities to "Let Data Reign".
  • The digests did not mention bipartisan concerns over the cost of data projects. They also did not include polling data on American opposition to data centres.

Centre

5 rated outlets

  • The centre-rated reports from KXRM, louisianafirstnews.com, and Forbes focused on Trump's assertion that communities opposed to data centers want to be 'backwards and poor'. KXRM and louisianafirstnews.com also mentioned that Americans' opposition to data centers in their local communities has grown, based on recent polling. Forbes additionally cited a 2026 Gallup survey stating a majority of Americans oppose data center construction locally.

Right

1 rated outlet

  • The right-rated reports from Washington Times, Washington Examiner, RedState, and The Post Millennial highlighted Trump's endorsement of data centers and his warnings about economic consequences for opposition. Washington Times used the quote 'Let data reign' and noted Trump called data centers the 'Golden Goose'. Washington Examiner reported Trump's claim that communities not building data centers will be 'backwards and poor'. RedState mentioned Trump defending data centers amid China concerns, and The Post Millennial focused on Trump's statement that data centers will make communities 'successful and rich' and create jobs.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Trump links data centers to prosperity, warns against opposition?
Of the 16 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 63% are rated left, 31% are rated centre, 6% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 18. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Trump links data centers to prosperity, warns against opposition left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 16 rated outlets on this story, 63% are rated left, 31% are rated centre, 6% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Trump links data centers to prosperity, warns against opposition biased?
Trump links data centers to prosperity, warns against opposition is one event reported by 18 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 links data centers to prosperity, warns against opposition?
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 links data centers to prosperity, warns against opposition?
18 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 communities opposing data centers?
Former President Donald Trump stated that communities opposing data centers risk becoming 'backwards and poor'. He argued that those wanting to succeed and be rich should embrace the facilities, which he called a 'golden goose'.
How does Trump believe opposing data centers could affect the US?
Trump suggested that communities rejecting data centers might end up economically stagnant and that such opposition could benefit China. He linked data centers to prosperity and American competitiveness in artificial intelligence.
What do Americans think about data centers in their local areas?
According to a 2026 Gallup survey cited in some reports, a majority of Americans oppose the construction of data centers in their local areas.

Read it at the source

178 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

46
Show 38 more

Centre

48
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Right

36
Show 28 more

Not rated

48
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How 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.

Trump on data centers | MediaBias News