In the lead-up to the midterm elections, President Donald Trump has adopted anti-regulation positions on several contentious technology issues, creating friction with members of his own party running for Congress and state office. The president has pushed back against calls for oversight regarding artificial intelligence, large-scale data centers, and automated license plate readers used by law enforcement.
Trump has characterized concerns from lawmakers and tech developers about AI risks as a “hoax.” Speaking on social media, he argued that comprehensive federal regulation would undermine American competitiveness against China. This stance directly contradicts the platform of Michigan Senate hopeful Mike Rogers, a Republican who has advocated for a national security framework to slow AI development and allow regulatory bodies to catch pace.
Rogers’ opponent, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, seized on the president’s comments during a recent forum. “Donald Trump always puts his own interests over the interests of the rest of us. And Mike Rogers, he’s going to put whatever Donald Trump wants over you, and that’s the danger,” El-Sayed said. Rogers has not publicly addressed these allegations.
In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican Senate candidate, has positioned himself as a critic of big tech, highlighting past lawsuits against social media giants and proposing restrictions on AI bots interacting with minors. However, his campaign has not addressed whether he supports federal AI regulations. His Democratic challenger, State Senator James Talarico, recently appeared with businessman Mark Cuban to call for federal guardrails on AI, focusing on job protection and export controls for advanced chips.
Public opinion appears to align more closely with the regulators than with the president. A Marquette University Law School poll conducted earlier this month found that roughly two-thirds of adults view AI as harmful to society. Additionally, a Quinnipiac University poll revealed that 74% of Americans believe the government is failing to sufficiently regulate artificial intelligence, while only 13% felt current efforts were adequate.
The dispute extends to data centers, which have become a flashpoint in several races. Trump has defended their construction as vital for economic growth and national security, even attacking opponents on social media by stating that communities resisting them “want to be backwards and poor.” Conversely, Rogers has called for a one-year moratorium on new data center construction in Michigan, and Ohio Senator Jon Husted is sponsoring legislation requiring facilities to cover their utility costs. Voter sentiment has shifted against expansion; the Marquette poll showed 71% of adults believe the costs of data centers outweigh the benefits, a significant increase from 62% in January.
Finally, Trump has expressed support for Flock cameras, noting they assist law enforcement despite privacy concerns. These automatic license plate readers are facing scrutiny in multiple states. In Wisconsin, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany supports a moratorium on state funding for the devices, while his Democratic opponent, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, has already limited their county-level use. In Pennsylvania, both Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro and Republican challenger Stacy Garrity have called for bans on the cameras.
High-profile cases of misuse have turned the public against surveillance technology. According to the Marquette poll, 61% of Americans consider the cameras unacceptable privacy violations, compared to 39% who view them as valuable investigative tools. Flock has stated it welcomes bipartisan legislative efforts to implement privacy and transparency standards while maintaining law enforcement utility.
Interesting that Michigan and Texas GOP candidates are diverging from Trump here. Seems like he’s leaving them to handle the fallout alone.
I didn’t realize Flock cameras had this much bipartisan backlash. Privacy violations are no joke, even for law enforcement.
Trump calling AI concerns a hoax is wild. Most people clearly want oversight, so he’s out of touch with his own voters.