Donald Trump warns AI data centers could outgrow oil industry, urges US to beat China

President Donald Trump said data centers could become a larger industry than oil and stressed that whoever leads in artificial intelligence will dominate globally. He highlighted Texas as a key battleground, noting that the state’s power grid is already seeing massive requests for new connections, with about 87% of a recent 410‑gigawatt request coming from data‑center projects. Trump argued that tax incentives and reduced regulation are needed to attract these facilities, and he dismissed concerns about grid strain by claiming companies will build their own power plants.

In the same interview, Trump linked the rapid expansion of crypto and AI to a geopolitical race with China, warning that the United States cannot allow Beijing to take the lead in either field. He cited China’s abundant fossil‑fuel energy as an advantage and promoted a “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” signed by utilities and governors to keep electricity costs from rising for households.

Trump’s remarks combine a push for abundant, cheap energy with a business‑friendly stance on emerging digital infrastructure, framing the data‑center boom as essential to maintaining US technological and economic leadership.