A Leaked NRSC Memo Says Data Centers Poll Like Spent Nuclear Waste, and Support Flipped From +9 to -17 in Six Months

Axios (via r/singularity; corroborated by SiliconANGLE, Washington Examiner, Common Dreams, Mediaite)·high signalXBlueskyLinkedInCopy link

Axios obtained a National Republican Senatorial Committee memo warning AI companies that data centers have become politically radioactive heading into the 2026 midterms. Internal polling cited in the memo shows support for a data center within three miles of home going from 37% support and 28% opposition in January to 24% support and 41% opposition in July, a 26-point swing. The memo centers on Ohio, where Sherrod Brown is running against Jon Husted on data-center opposition, and states that if Husted loses and data centers take the blame, "politicians across the country will take notice, and they will not go near the next one." Tech insiders quoted admit they cannot find a message that shifts opinion fast enough.