Trump says tech companies should pay Georgians thousands to host data centers

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — President Donald Trump said local communities should have approval power over booming data center projects and receive significant financial benefits from tech companies to offset their impact.

Trump told Atlanta News First in an exclusive one-on-one interview Saturday backstage in Perry that developers have the resources to support host towns.

RELATED: President Trump talks poll monitors in Fulton County, Audi plant ahead of rally

The rapid spread of energy-intensive data centers has become a flashpoint across Georgia, sparking voter pushback over rising electric bills and straining regional power grids.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson previously broke with Trump on the issue, insisting local city and county leaders must have veto power over where campuses are built.

Trump said he agrees with Jackson on local approval, arguing the solution to neighborhood resistance is simple: tech companies need to open their checkbooks.

“I agree with that. No, I agree with that. And I think locals should be paid a lot of money for data centers,” Trump said. “When a data center goes in, I’ve seen it, people are very unhappy. All of a sudden, a data center decides to pay a community in the form of taxes, in the form of whatever — and all of a sudden, the same people love what they’re doing.”

FULL ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW

Trump acknowledged the global race for artificial intelligence, noting China is aggressively building competing infrastructure. He insisted tech giants have the capital to compensate local families directly.

“We have to have them because you know who likes them? China,” Trump said. “China wants data centers, and they’re building them rapidly, and we’re beating China. But the data centers, they have money. They can pay local communities a lot.”

Speaking before thousands in Houston County, Trump urged Georgia communities to demand substantial cash payouts.

“And as far as data centers, we don’t want to get controversial,” Trump told the crowd. “The community that they’re being built in, they’re great. They give you a lot of money and everything. Ask for a lot of money. Tell them to pay you $10,000, $15,000, $20,000 for everybody that lives in the community. They’ll do it. You just gotta ask.”

Trump cited an example in Louisiana where he claimed developer payouts flipped neighborhood opposition into support.

“I saw one case in Louisiana where they were really fighting ... and then the company, I think it was Meta, they agreed to pay everybody $10,000,” Trump said. “And they went from, ‘we will not have it,’ to ‘do you have any more you want to bring?’ I’m telling you, just pay. Pay the people. Give them the money. They have so much money.”

Trump then turned to Jackson on stage to address their policy alignment.

“Do you agree with that, Rick? They’ll be very happy,” Trump said as Jackson looked on. “Rick’s a little bit tentative on that one. But no, they’ll be very happy.”

The rally also served as the backdrop for major economic news.

Backstage, Trump revealed to Atlanta News First that Audi plans to build its first U.S. manufacturing facility roughly 20 minutes from Perry.

Gov. Brian Kemp later confirmed the German automaker will invest $4 billion in the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, creating an estimated 4,500 jobs.

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., who is running for U.S. Senate, added that federal funding will ensure the Port of Brunswick is fully dredged to handle automotive exports from the new plant.

Trump also addressed the U.S. Department of Justice’s notification that it is sending federal election monitors to six Democratic-majority Georgia counties, including Fulton, DeKalb and Gwinnett.

Facing criticism from local election boards that the federal presence could intimidate voters, Trump defended the deployment.

“They want to watch. You know, in Fulton County, you know that disaster,” Trump said. “They’re not going to do anything other than watch ... we want to all have honest elections.”

On stage, Trump repeatedly targeted Democratic opponents, calling U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff a “radical-left extremist” and criticizing former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over crime rates. Jackson echoed the sentiment, telling voters that “bad mayors don’t make good governors.”

Trump suggested that if Jackson and Collins win, he would respond to calls to send the National Guard into Atlanta, which he labeled a “dangerous hellhole.”

The Perry stop marked Trump’s second Georgia rally in recent weeks, aimed at energizing rural voters as early voting continues across the state.