Trump Defends Data Centers Amid Ohio Senate Race Controversy
President Trump, speaking at a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, defended the strategic and economic importance of data centers, which are crucial for AI development. His remarks come as Senator Jon Husted faces criticism over substantial tax incentives granted to attract these facilities to the state.
Husted, who served as Ohio's lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2025, played a significant role in promoting data center expansion. The state approved approximately $2.5 billion in tax incentives for data centers between 2017 and 2024, according to PolitiFact.
Projects benefiting from these incentives include Google's $600 million New Albany center, Amazon's $10 billion expansion in 2025, and AWS's $7.8 billion investment in 2023. However, Husted's stance has shifted recently, as he now opposes new tax breaks and advocates for local decision-making on such projects.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has warned that data centers could become a liability for Husted in the upcoming midterm elections. An internal memo described them as "the anchor hanging around Husted's neck," potentially impacting his campaign against Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown, who currently leads by eight points in polls.