The Trump administration says local opposition will not derail planned AI infrastructure investment, with Kevin Hassett saying data centers scheduled for construction over the next two years would proceed regardless of local referendum results.

Hassett said investment could continue in states whose governors actively seek to attract data centers, and suggested communities might warm to construction as the facilities’ benefits become clearer.

That message comes as voters raise concerns about power use, electricity bills and environmental damage: Ballotpedia says voters backed restrictions in at least 46 of roughly 50 data center-related ballot measures held this year.

The issue is also politically salient, with a CNBC voter survey finding that 56% of midterm voters considered data centers an important or major issue, while 62% of those who viewed it as very important supported Democratic candidates.

Donald Trump reiterated his support for the AI industry on Truth Social, calling it “superintelligence” and arguing that states embracing it could gain substantial economic benefits.

Hassett linked uncertainty about possible congressional intervention in data center policy to the previous day’s sharp decline in technology stocks, but said slower sector growth would have limited effects on the broader U.S. economy.