Is US data center opposition a ‘China PR thing,’ as Trump says? Experts say that’s exaggerated
Former President Donald Trump and other officials have attributed widespread opposition to data centers in the U.S. to Chinese influence operations. However, experts and organizations like OpenAI suggest that while foreign actors may amplify existing concerns, the growing grassroots opposition is largely organic and stems from real community fears over issues like increased utility rates and environmental impact. Claims of direct Chinese control over U.S. advocacy groups have also been retracted after legal challenges.
Former President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have publicly claimed that the growing opposition to data center development across the U.S. is a result of "China PR thing" or "foreign-directed propaganda" and "dark money." These claims suggest that foreign influence campaigns are manipulating American public opinion against data centers, especially as the U.S. government faces pressure to regulate AI and address infrastructure buildout.
Republican lawmakers in Congress have also sought briefings from the FBI and the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology regarding foreign influence in AI and energy infrastructure policy, and asked environmental groups to disclose foreign funding. Reports by advocacy groups like Power the Future and the Bitcoin Policy Institute have cited potential Chinese influence, though a Bitcoin Policy Institute author, Sam Lyman, acknowledged an "organic opposition" exists alongside an "inorganic element."
However, experts and fact-checkers largely describe these claims as exaggerated. Mitch Jones of Food & Water Watch stated that a broad political movement across the U.S. is not the result of mystical Chinese power. Darren Linvill, a Clemson University professor, noted that Chinese state media does not particularly focus on this issue, preferring to promote Chinese AI technology. Jessica Brandt of the Council on Foreign Relations emphasized that foreign actors exploit existing societal divisions rather than manufacturing the entire debate. Even OpenAI, a U.S. AI company, reported banning Chinese-linked accounts for influence operations, but found "no evidence of meaningful breakout beyond its own activity.
The article highlights that grassroots opposition to data centers is significant and growing across nearly every U.S. state, with a recent survey by the University of Pennsylvania indicating 61% of adults oppose data center construction in their area. Opposition groups cite concerns over increased electricity and water rates, as well as the destruction of farmland and natural resources. One instance of specific foreign influence claims, made by television personality Kevin O’Leary against Utah nonprofits Elevate Strategies and the Alliance for a Better Utah, resulted in a defamation lawsuit and subsequent retraction and apology.