President Donald Trump is facing sharp online criticism after urging communities across the country to stop resisting data center development, a form of tech infrastructure that has grown increasingly controversial in recent years.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of unveiling his "Ratepayer Protection Pledge" at the Environmental Protection Agency, Trump addressed the growing tension surrounding data centers — large facilities that house computing infrastructure and have drawn opposition from local communities over concerns including electricity costs, water usage, noise, and environmental impact. The pledge arrives as utility regulators and state lawmakers across the country grapple with how to allocate the costs of powering data centers, which the Department of Energy projected in a December 2024 report could consume as much as 12 percent of total U.S. electricity by 2028, up from roughly 4 percent today.

"You have to convince your communities how great these things are," Trump said. "You can't fight it. You have to go with it."

The remarks drew immediate pushback from social media users across the political spectrum. Critics noted that data centers have become broadly unpopular, with opposition emerging even from voices typically aligned with Trump's base.

Conservative commentator Daniel Horowitz, senior editor at The Blaze, posted on X: "Losing the issue by a mile." (https://x.com/RMConservative/status/2080403406611435531)

Media personality Luke Rudkowski commented: "Talk about not reading the room." (https://x.com/Lukewearechange/status/2080432642663534818)

Trisha Hope, a former Texas Republican delegate and former MAGA supporter, wrote: "He clearly doesn't care about losing the midterms." (https://x.com/JustTheTweets17/status/2080417813844693312)

Geri Perna, an aunt of a deceased January 6 defendant who has become a MAGA critic, reacted: "No. I do NOT want data centers! READ THE ROOM @POTUS" (https://x.com/GeriPerna/status/2080410171122372744)

Florida immigrant advocate Thomas Kennedy posted: "You are not convincing us, we are not going along with it. And we are going to fight it." (https://x.com/tomaskenn/status/2080381269876134296)

Author Joyce Carol Oates wrote: "Person who will never live within 100 miles of a data center urges followers to convince their communities 'how great these things are.'" (https://x.com/JoyceCarolOates/status/2080436307604492446)

Writer Pedro Gonzalez observed: "One of the only nice things you can say about Trump is that he regularly humiliates his sycophants by forcing them to not only defend but embrace the most unpopular positions at any given time." (https://x.com/emeriticus/status/2080431035993526558)

Data centers have become a flashpoint in communities across the United States as the expansion of artificial intelligence and cloud computing drives surging demand for computing power. Major technology companies — including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta — have collectively committed hundreds of billions of dollars to data center expansion, with Northern Virginia already hosting the largest concentration of data centers in the world. The facilities are known for their substantial consumption of electricity and water, prompting local residents and environmental advocates to raise concerns about utility rate increases, resource strain, and ecological effects. The friction has intensified as more facilities are proposed in residential and rural areas, and several states — including Virginia, Georgia, and Texas — have seen legislative debates over whether to fast-track, tax, or restrict new projects.