Trump warns towns rejecting data centers will become "backwards and poor"

President Donald Trump warned towns on Monday that rejecting data center projects would leave them "backwards and poor." A Heatmap Pro review found that more than 500 US counties and municipalities were restricting or blocking new facilities by late July. Trump argued that towns accepting data centers would gain jobs and lower taxes. He said rival locations were ready to absorb rejected projects. Residents in Republican-run and Democratic-run areas cited higher electricity bills, water use, and strain on local grids. Officials responded with permit pauses and bans. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro tightened review rules for large projects. Texas Governor Greg Abbott paused new grid connections pending an audit. New York imposed a statewide freeze on hyperscale data centers in July. Trump called opposition to data centers a gift to Beijing. Sen. Bernie Sanders said that 75% of Americans oppose data centers in their communities. Sanders said opponents were defending their communities rather than choosing poverty. A private National Republican Senatorial Committee memo warned that opposition would spread beyond Ohio unless voter perceptions changed quickly. The memo called the issue a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle. Sen. Jon Husted faces Democrat Sherrod Brown in Ohio. Brown has made opposition to data centers a central campaign theme.