Echoing Senate GOP Memo, Fox Targets 'Far Left' Data Center Opposition

Republican leaders, through the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), are reportedly concerned that growing bipartisan opposition to AI data centers could jeopardize a crucial Senate seat in Ohio in the upcoming midterm elections. A private memo, published by Axios, from the NRSC to leading AI companies warned that "toxic views of U.S. data centers are killing the party's chances" and urged the industry to address its "toxic brand."

Following the Axios report, Fox News's flagship morning show, "Fox & Friends," launched a segment aiming to frame data center opposition as a "far left" culture war issue. Guest co-host Griff Jenkins highlighted remarks from Pennsylvania's Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, who recently issued an executive order to tighten data center regulations, and featured criticisms from prominent Democratic politicians like Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Fox commentators emphasized national security implications and the perceived race against China in AI development, arguing that domestic opposition threatens U.S. dominance.

This strategy aligns with the NRSC's suggestion that Republicans benefit from portraying Democratic resistance to data centers as a risk to America's leadership in AI. However, the article also notes a divide within conservative media, with figures like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens expressing skepticism or opposition to data center construction, indicating potential limitations to Fox's efforts to uniformly brand the opposition as a "far-left" position.