Trump backs data centers in Ohio amid tight Senate race

President Trump defended data centers at a midterm campaign rally in Vandalia, Ohio Saturday, arguing that the U.S. will risk losing ground in the global artificial intelligence race against China without the massive facilities that have come under heightened scrutiny in recent years.

“There’s so much money to be made for Ohio. You can’t just turn them off. They’ll go to China,” Trump told the crowd at a rally in the Buckeye State, where data centers have emerged as a flashpoint in one of the country’s most competitive Senate races.

The president argued that the facilities, which provide the computing power needed to develop and run AI systems —which he has now dubbed “superintelligence” — would be a beneficial investment in Ohio.

He also promised that his administration is working to ensure data centers “benefit local communities.”

Opposition to new data centers has grown across the country, with residents and lawmakers raising concerns about their enormous electricity demands and water usage that could drive up utility bills for consumers.

Backlash over data centers has emerged as a pain point for Republicans ahead of the rapidly approaching midterm elections.

Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Vice President Vance and is currently facing a competitive challenge from former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), has faced criticism over his support for bringing data centers to the state while serving as lieutenant governor.

Husted, who was at the Saturday rally, has introduced a bill that sought to address those concerns by requiring large power users to shoulder more of their costs. The GOP-controlled Senate tried to advance the legislation, but it was ultimately blocked by Senate Democrats.

Brown has sought to make the issue a liability for the Ohio Republican.

“Senator Jon Husted gave billions in tax breaks to Big Tech to make sure they would build their data centers in Ohio,” Brown wrote Friday on the social platform X . “Now, he’s making Ohioans foot the bill.”

Trump, however, has repeatedly backed the buildout of data centers while dismissing concerns about the rapidly growing and powerful technology as his administration pushes to expand AI infrastructure in the U.S. to compete with China.