President Trump defended the rapid expansion of AI data centers during a wide-ranging interview with his former fixer Michael Cohen that aired in full on Sunday. He said the United States is leading China in artificial intelligence by a wide margin and argued that data centers are not taking power from the grid but instead are building their own power plants, describing them as the most beautiful facilities he has seen. Communities that reject data centers, he said, are making a mistake because they bring tremendous amounts of jobs and money to the economy. Some developers are creating behind-the-meter power plants that directly supply their facilities, while others will draw electricity from the grid. The comments come as political opposition has grown in multiple states. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said data center companies dug their own grave by failing to win community support and deserves the backlash. He has directed regulators to make companies pay the full cost of electrical infrastructure and called for tax incentives to be phased out. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have imposed restrictions and a moratorium on hyperscale projects. The Trump administration has eased some environmental rules, including an EPA guidance last month stating that power plants not connected to the public grid are not subject to the Clean Air Act’s Acid Rain Program, while pushing tech companies to build, buy or bring their own power and cover related costs through the Ratepayer Protection Pledge.