While many in Michigan are opposed to data center and the expanding use of AI, President Donald Trump recently expressed his support for controversial AI tools, which could impact his support in polls.
In a series of Sept. 14 Truth Social posts, Trump sharply criticized calls to regulate AI, calling concerns about the technology a "HOAX."
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei last weekcalled on AI companiesto moderate the rate at which they advance model capabilities amid mounting fears of misuse of artificial intelligence, outlining a three-step framework intended to pace development and create more time to manage its risks.
"We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models. Progress will still seem fast, and we must make wise use
of the time we gain," Amodei said in an essay shared on X.
As Trump defends data center and the progress on AI, he continues to receive poor ratings across recent polling, reaching as high as a 60% nationwide disapproval rating in a Sept. 15 Civiqs poll. He got a 59% disapproval rating in a Sept. 8-13 New York Times/Siena poll and a 58% disapproval rating in a Sept. 11-14 Economist/YouGov poll.
Real Clear Politics, which aggregates data from numerous polls, shows Trump's current average approval rating is 17.8 percentage points below his average disapproval rating — slightly worse than in early September.
Here's what to know about Trump's approval ratings.
Does Trump support AI initiatives?
President Donald Trump's administration has supported data centers and aligned itself with the AI industry, and Trump has largely dismissed concerns about the technology, USA TODAY reported. His defense of AI turned into criticism of the public's concerns in a series of Truth Social posts Sept. 14.
"The only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!" Trump said at 9:48 a.m. on Sept. 14.
"AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX," he wrote in a separate 1:33 p.m. post.
"The AI Hoax being perpetrated by the Radical Left Dumocrats is reminiscent of their Global Warming Scam of not so long ago," Trump said later at 7:55 p.m.
How did the Economist/YouGov poll rank Trump?
Economist/YouGov:
- 58% disapprove of Trump's job performance, while 40% approve
- 58% say Trump isn't honest and trustworthy, while 31% say he is
- 53% say Trump is too old to be president, while 38% say he isn't
- The survey of 1,461 U.S. adults was conducted Sept. 11-14, 2026 and has a margin of error of ±3.3 percentage points.
How did the Rasmussen Reports poll rank Trump?
Rasmussen Reports:
- 57% disapprove of Trump, while 42% approve
- The poll results are from Sept. 16, 2026
The Rasmussen Reports survey did not break down party affiliation of respondents or Trump's approval ratings on policy issues.
How did the New York Times/Siena poll rank Trump?
New York Times/Siena:
- 59% disapprove of Trump's job performance, while 38% approve
- 61% say Trump is generally focused on the wrong issues, while 36% say he is generally focused on the right issues
- The survey of 1,503 voters was conducted Sept. 8-13, 2026 and has a margin of error of ±2.9 percentage points.
How did the Civiqs poll rank Trump?
Civiqs:
- Nationwide, 60% disapprove of Trump's job performance, while 34% approve
- In Michigan, 59% disapprove of Trump's job performance, while 35% approve
- The online survey was compiled Sept. 15, 2026
USA TODAY contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump touts data centers, AI. Could it hurt already low approval?
