Lifelong Texas Republican Goes Viral With Criticism Of Proposed AI Data Center On '60 Minutes'—And Everyone's Saying The Same Thing

Dave Lowe, a resident of Red Oak, Texas, and a "lifelong conservative Republican," went viral for his reaction to a proposed AI data center in his community, giving 60 Minutes reporters a response observers say perfectly sums up conservative thinking.

Data centers—vast, industrial buildings packed with servers, networking hardware, and storage systems—form the physical backbone of modern computing.

While such facilities date back to the mid-20th century, emerging alongside the first general-purpose digital computers, their construction has surged dramatically in recent years as artificial intelligence has moved from theory to daily use.

That growth has brought mounting environmental concerns into sharper focus. Over the last year, researchers and journalists have increasingly scrutinized the energy and water demands of popular generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.

According to a Forbes report, the water required to sustain just one ChatGPT conversation is comparable to the amount contained in a typical disposable plastic water bottle.

In May, a Texas Tribune analysis found that nearly 60% of planned or under-construction data centers are located in Republican-held districts that voted for Trump, even as public opposition remains strong. A March poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans would oppose an AI data center being built in their community.

When asked about what concerns him about the data center project in Red Oak, Lowe said:

"I worry about the traffic, the congestion, the noise. I worry about the environmental impacts and the impact it has on where I live."

Asked if the situation has caused him to rethink his vote, he gave a telling response:

“This is the first time in my adult life where there's been an issue that's come up that I feel like is going to directly impact me. This time around I've made the decision I'm not going to vote red or blue. I'm going to vote for the candidate that's willing to speak up and put up and do something to help us with this issue."

You can hear what he said in the video below.

Lowe's response prompted people to point out that he is a classic example of someone who doesn't foresee that something might be an issue unless it's hurting him directly.

President Donald Trump has lashed out at Americans for complaining about data centers that have been popping up in their communities.

Earlier this month, he said in a post on Truth Social that "the only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor." He said people should support data center construction "if they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place."

An Economist/YouGov poll conducted August 21-24 found that 47% of people who voted for Trump in 2024 opposed having a new data center built in their community, compared with 35% who supported such a project.