Trump Backs Light AI Rules, Defends 75 Data Centers Facing $130 Billion Opposition
Updated
Updated · Decrypt · Aug 19
Trump Backs Light AI Rules, Defends 75 Data Centers Facing $130 Billion Opposition
3 articles · Updated · Decrypt · Aug 19
Summary
Trump said AI could be “bigger than the internet” and argued U.S. rules should not stifle the industry as Washington races to stay ahead of China.
China was cast as the closest rival, with Trump saying AI will likely feature when Xi Jinping visits on Sept. 24 and tying faster approvals to that competition.
Trump also defended the data-center buildout, saying companies are constructing their own power plants because the U.S. grid is “old and tired and weak” and can even feed excess electricity back.
Opposition is rising: 37 people have been arrested in data-center protests this year, 15 states have weighed moratoriums, and Pennsylvania just imposed new requirements on large projects to cover grid costs.
Financing is also getting harder, with at least 75 data centers worth about $130 billion facing local opposition in the first quarter of 2026 despite a March White House pledge by major tech firms to fund needed power infrastructure.