Republicans are embracing allegations that data center opposition in the U.S. is being fueled by foreign actors, raising questions over how influence operators are contributing to one of the fiercest debates in the tech policy space.
Reports, including from OpenAI, have emerged suggesting China and other countries may be carrying out influence campaigns targeting Americans' frustration with data center buildouts. Data centers serve as the server warehouses powering the AI boom and once enjoyed support from politicians across the political spectrum, but public opinion has rapidly deteriorated amid concerns about electricity costs and environmental impacts.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox Business Network that any place attempting to build data centers is facing bombardment from foreign-directed propaganda seeking to block construction. "Any place that's trying to build data centers is getting bombarded with foreign-directed propaganda to try to block these from being built," Burgum said.
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats have seized on the backlash against data centers, particularly focusing on energy costs affecting consumers. While acknowledging legitimate public concerns about infrastructure impacts, some progressive voices argue that pointing to foreign influence does not address the underlying policy questions.
Ryan Fedasiuk, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told The Hill that while it makes sense for Republicans to point out China's genuine efforts to influence American politics, "on some level, it's cope … it's not going to make the problem go away." Ari Ben Am, an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, said the specific operation identified by OpenAI did not move the proverbial needle. He argued that politicians blaming anti-data center discourse on China are avoiding tackling the issue directly.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican lawmakers have moved to formalize concerns about foreign interference in data center policy decisions. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) along with GOP Reps. John Joyce (Pa.) and Bob Latta (Ohio) sent a letter in early June to the FBI and co-chairs of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, requesting information about evidence that "strongly suggests" foreign influence campaigns.
The lawmakers wrote that when "Chinese Communist Party-backed entities and other foreign adversaries may be attempting to influence decisions" about U.S. data centers, it demonstrates how serious the fight has become. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a longtime China hawk, separately wrote to the Justice Department asking for an investigation into foreign influence efforts targeting the data center buildout. "We can't allow any effort by foreign adversaries to extort these fears and undermine our technological development," Cotton said.
What the Numbers Show
OpenAI released an intelligence report revealing that influence operators, likely based in China, used ChatGPT accounts to push narratives about American AI and technology policy. The company discovered two clusters of accounts generating social media comments and images claiming data center buildouts increased electricity prices for families.
OpenAI characterized the activity as "category one" — meaning most generated posts had little or no observable engagement. The firm stated the operation sought to exploit existing public concerns but was significant not because it appeared to shift public opinion, but because it demonstrated PRC-origin influence operators testing narratives against AI infrastructure. Both Guthrie and Cotton cited a report from the Bitcoin Policy Institute alleging Chinese state-run outlets ran anti-data center campaigns.
The Bottom Line
President Trump has largely supported data center development, arguing tech companies need to build without obstacles to compete with China in the AI race. He has moved to speed up project approvals and curtail environmental reviews while securing commitments from leading AI firms to cover rising electricity costs. Yet the administration confronts increasing unpopularity of the infrastructure.
Fedasiuk noted that concerns about China's interference are well-placed, stating it is a serious threat to U.S. security as China attempts to stymie America's ability to deploy computational power. However, he cautioned that blaming China may not be a winning political message given the genuine domestic concerns driving opposition. The episode illustrates how foreign policy considerations increasingly intersect with domestic infrastructure debates as the AI industry expands rapidly across the country.