Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested on Monday that President Donald Trump build a data center at his Mar-a-Lago estate in response to his comments criticizing opponents of data centers. ^[1] A late August Economist / YouGov poll found that most Americans oppose building new data centers in their communities, with only 24 percent agreeing they are good for the country. ^[2] President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that communities opposing data centers want to be 'backwards and poor' and that data centers bring lower taxes and jobs. ^[3] A 2020 California State Auditor report found that of the 320 million images the Los Angeles Police Department had stored, 99.9% were of vehicles not on a hot list, and that LAPD had no policy on automated plate readers despite a state law requiring one. ^[4] Flock Safety estimates that approximately 5,000 law enforcement agencies use its automated license plate reader products. ^[5] In May 2025, a Texas sheriff's office searched 83,000 automated license plate reader cameras for a woman who had an abortion. ^[6] Republican Representatives Tim Burchett and Thomas Massie have each introduced legislation to regulate automated license plate readers. ^[7] The White House has pushed to expedite permitting and limit environmental regulations for data centers, arguing AI infrastructure is key to U.S. competitiveness against China. ^[8]