The data centers are winning

Demonstrators wave signs during a nationwide protest against AI data center expansion in Imperial, California, on July 18, 2026. | Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images In the United States, building a data center now polls roughly as well as abolishing the police. If current trends continue, server warehouses may soon

There is a version of the data center fight that conservatives are about to lose by winning. Across the country, the Right is discovering it can beat data centers at the ballot box. In Pennsylvania, the Republican candidate for governor is running to the incumbent’s left on the issue — demanding a total development pau

Republican leaders are increasingly turning against data center development even as the Trump administration remains staunchly in favor of building them.  Across red states, Republicans who once welcomed the economic investment promised by artificial intelligence infrastructure are beginning to pump the brakes as const

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and David French to discuss the political battle over data centers and Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada. The Agenda: —How data centers affect communities —National security implications —Misinformation about data centers —The U.S.-Canada trade war —Worth your