AOC proposes Mar-a-Lago data center after Trump calls critics 'backwards'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested placing an AI data center at Mar-a-Lago in response to President Donald Trump’s claim that communities opposing data centers are ‘backwards and poor,’ highlighting the ongoing national debate over where such facilities should be located. The comments come amid broader concerns about data centers’ energy and water use and their impact on local neighborhoods, even as Trump and other Republicans champion AI infrastructure as key to economic growth. Some GOP lawmakers push back, calling for more local input and alternatives to siting decisions. Palm Beach County currently hosts an existing data center near Mar-a-Lago, and local proposals face scrutiny as residents worry about rising utility costs. Public sentiment appears to be increasingly resistant to new data centers near residential areas, underscoring the political and community challenges of scaling AI infrastructure.