Americans Have United Against Data Centers
Just when you think that Trump has forever broken the United States, Americans show that they can unify against data centers
Recently, 142 protests were held in 42 states, but these protests were not seen on cable news, nor did they fill up the headlines on websites and social media.
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The protests were against data centers, and they came from a source that might be surprising.
The protests were coordinated by HumansFirst, co-founded by a former leader of the modern-day Tea Party. She compares growing opposition to data centers to the right-wing populist movement that emerged in 2009 to protest what it saw as excessive taxation and government overreach.
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Protesters rallied against what HumansFirst calls the “unaccountable” buildout of data centers and “unacceptable infringement on our liberty.”
In Fredericksburg, Virginia, one young man carried a sign reading, “We thrive on water not data.” In Atlanta, a small knot of protesters wielded signs reading, “Georgia never voted for hyperscale AI data centers.”
So, this is a right-wing thing, right?
However, Politico reported, “While growing opposition to the sprawling, server-packed data hubs is coming from both sides of the political aisle, it’s especially evident among Democrats, whose opposition to the projects has grown much faster than antagonism from Republicans, according to the July survey conducted by the independent polling organization Public First.”
This is a Democratic thing? Well, sort of. It is actually an everyone thing.
A Gallup Poll conducted in March 2026 found, “Seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area, including nearly half, 48%, who are strongly opposed. Barely a quarter favor these projects, with 7% strongly in favor.”
Watch Sarah Jones talk about Republicans opposing data centers:
What’s going on here?
Let’s try to find out.
