Washington Post: Data centers have united Americans of both parties in a shared hatred | Feeling ignored by political and economic powers, people are rallying against computer hubs over concerns about their communities’ future.

# Data centers have united Americans of both parties in a shared hatred Source: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/07/18/how-data-centers-became-symbol-americans-rage/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/07/18/how-data-centers-became-symbol-americans-rage/) Democracy Dies in Darkness Feeling ignored by political and economic powers, people are rallying against computer hubs over concerns about their communities’ future\. July 18, 2026 \(Washington Post illustration; Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar/USA Today/Reuters; Rebecca Cook/Reuters\)  Kyle Schmidt ticked through what makes him irate about the[massive Google data center](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/06/data-centers-backlash-impact-local-communities-opposition/)slated for construction about a mile away from his home near Sand Springs, Oklahoma\. He didn’t like that residents were kept in the dark about what would be built on a pristine tract of mostly forested land\. He’s worried about the data center’s potential impact on the community’s water supply and on the dream home that his family moved into last year\. ---