Trump: Reject Data Centers, Stay "Backwards and Poor"
News Clip2:24The Dale Jackson Show·Palm Beach County, FL·9/5/2026
Donald Trump criticized communities that reject data centers, arguing they are turning away investment, jobs, and tax revenue. His remarks drew responses from U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who used Mar-a-Lago as an example to highlight that wealthy communities are also impacted by infrastructure. The commentary suggests a better approach involves establishing guardrails and collecting revenue without excessive incentives.
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Gov: U.S. Presidency, U.S. Congress
President Donald Trump has a blunt message for communities rejecting data centers: If you want to be "backwards and poor," keep turning them away.
Trump argues that data centers can bring investment, jobs, and tax revenue, but his message is generating pushback from both parties.
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) responded, "I guess I'm backwards and poor," while U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) mocked Trump's argument by suggesting somebody build a data center at Mar-a-Lago.
But there's a problem with that argument.
As discussed here, data centers already operate in the surrounding area. The broader point isn't that a data center belongs on the grounds of Mar-a-Lago. It's that wealthy communities aren't somehow isolated from this infrastructure.
The better approach is simple: Don't shower data centers with incentives. Make them pay their own way, establish reasonable guardrails, protect existing communities, and collect the revenue.