Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, crossed party lines Monday to support President Donald Trump’s defense of artificial intelligence data centers, framing the facilities as vital to national security.
The debate reignited after Trump posted on Truth Social that China, the primary competitor to the United States in the race for AI dominance, benefits directly from growing American opposition to the power-hungry facilities.
Fetterman echoed the president’s assessment on social media.
“Agreed,” Fetterman wrote on X. “We must win the war for AI supremacy over China. They foment the ‘anti’ argument through misinformation. There’s nothing more damaging to a Democrat than agreeing with Trump AND data centers—but what’s right is right.”
The bipartisan endorsement comes amid widespread grassroots resistance across the country. Residents and local officials have raised concerns over the environmental and economic toll of data centers, warning that their massive electricity demands could strain local grids and drive up household utility bills.
In response to voter frustration, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have increasingly pledged stricter regulations.
The Trump administration has resisted the backlash, though officials have offered varying approaches to the issue. Vice President JD Vance addressed the infrastructure challenges when questioned by reporters about the president’s remarks.
“Well, what the president said about data centers is they’re an important part of the AI economy, but when people build them, they have to build the power plants along with the data centers,” Vance said.
Vance’s measured response contrasted with Trump, who has aimed sharp criticism at opponents of the facilities, including lawmakers navigating the politics of tech expansion in their home states.
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