Karl Rove Warns Trump's AI Data Center Push Is Becoming a Midterm Liability for Republicans
Key Takeaways
- •Karl Rove warned that Trump's push to expand AI data centers across the U.S. could become a major liability for Republicans in the November 2026 midterm elections.
- •A recent Fox News poll found that 70% of American voters disagree with Trump's position on the data center build-out, and Rove noted that 42% of Americans live within five miles of an existing or proposed facility.
- •Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta have committed hundreds of billions of dollars to new data center capacity, and a 2024 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory analysis projected data centers could account for up to 12% of U.S. electricity use by 2028, up from roughly 4.4% in 2023.
- •Trump said communities resisting data centers are making a big mistake and stressed the money the facilities can generate, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said data centers are receiving the pushback they deserve.
- •With all 435 House seats and roughly a third of the Senate up for election in 2026, Rove advised Republicans to take the safe position on the data center issue.
Karl Rove, the veteran Republican strategist and former senior adviser to President George W. Bush, warned on Monday that President Donald Trump's drive to expand artificial intelligence data centers across the United States is shaping up as a major midterm headache for the Republican Party.
Speaking on Fox News, Rove highlighted a recent Fox News poll showing that Trump's policy position on the build-out of AI data centers puts him at odds with 70% of American voters. He said the issue is creating headwinds for Republicans in midterm elections that were already expected to be a slog for the party — a pattern with historical precedent, as the party holding the White House has lost House seats in every midterm since World War II except 1998 and 2002.
"42% of Americans live within five miles of a data center or a proposed data center, so this is problematic," Rove said.
The tension comes amid a nationwide AI construction boom. Surging demand for computing power to train and run generative AI models has led Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta to commit hundreds of billions of dollars to new data center capacity, and a 2024 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory analysis projected that data centers could account for as much as 12% of U.S. electricity use by 2028, up from roughly 4.4% in 2023. Opposition has surfaced in states including Virginia, Georgia and Texas, where residents and local officials have cited strains on power grids, electricity costs, water use, noise and property values.
Trump addressed the subject during an interview on Sunday with his former lawyer Michael Cohen, saying that communities resisting data centers are "making a big mistake." He noted that there is a "tremendous amount of money" that can be made from the facilities.
The president's stance has also put him at odds with other members of his own party. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, for instance, has said data centers are getting the "pushback they deserve."
Rove said the disagreements over data centers should signal Republicans to take the "safe position" ahead of the midterms — though whether the party heeds that advice remains to be seen. With all 435 House seats and roughly a third of the Senate on the ballot in November 2026, how Republican candidates weigh the president's economic pitch against local resistance to the facilities is a dynamic to watch as the campaigns take shape.
Rove: 42% of American live within 5 miles of a data center or a proposed data center so this is problematic pic.twitter.com/iTxMT02cRJ — Acyn (@Acyn) August 24, 2026
