Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has a suggestion for where the next AI data center should go: near President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort after he argued that communities opposing the massive facilities risk becoming "backwards and poor."
The New York Democrat's comments put the spotlight on data centers, which are an increasingly heated political issue nationwide, drawing backlash from residents worried about noise, energy consumption, water use and their impact on surrounding neighborhoods. The debate is also creating unusual divisions within the Republican Party, with some GOP lawmakers distancing themselves from projects that Trump has enthusiastically embraced.
"How about we put one in Mar-a-Lago? I love that. Let's put a data center up
in Mar-a-Lago; we'll see how backwards and poor he is in response to that," Ocasio-Cortez told MeidasTouch's Pablo Manríquez on Aug. 31.
Why did Ocasio-Cortez make the comment?
Ocasio-Cortez was responding to comments Trump made Aug. 31 defending data centers and criticizing communities pushing back on new developments.
"The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign."
Trump's remarks come as his administration continues to promote AI infrastructure expansion, even as opposition grows in communities facing proposals for large-scale data center projects.
Not all Republicans agree
While Trump remains one of the industry's most vocal political supporters, some Republicans have begun expressing reservations ahead of November's midterm elections.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tennessee, pushed back on Trump's characterization, telling the same reporter, "I guess I'm backwards and poor."
Burchett said communities should have more say over whether projects move forward and suggested companies look at military installations instead of residential areas.
"We need more local control. We should have brought everybody to the table," Burchett said.
Why data centers are becoming a political issue
For years, politicians in both parties largely celebrated data centers as job creators and economic development projects. But as AI fuels a building boom across the country, public sentiment has shifted in many communities.
Residents and local officials have increasingly raised concerns about the facilities' size, energy demands, water consumption, noise and whether they provide meaningful benefits to nearby neighborhoods.
As opposition spreads, data centers are emerging as one of the more unexpected political flashpoints of the 2026 election cycle, with Democrats and Republicans alike realigning their message as voters voice frustration over proposed projects in their communities.
USA TODAY’s Joey Garrison contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AOC says Trump's Mar-a-Lago should be near data centers
