Nearly 20 Democrats considered potential 2028 presidential contenders were asked by Axios whether they support Bernie Sanders' call for AI executives to “stop building machines that humans cannot control.” None publicly embraced Sanders' full proposal to pause AI development, and only a few signaled support for moratoria on AI data center construction. The responses — and many nonresponses — illustrate how quickly AI politics are shifting and how unsettled the field is ahead of the next presidential cycle.
Who said what — and who stayed silent
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Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago, offered the most direct critique of Sanders' idea: he described a pause as merely “talking around a problem” unless the time is used to craft a comprehensive plan. Emanuel argued for permitting reform and for requiring large technology hyperscalers to pay for energy infrastructure upgrades.
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About half of those asked did not reply, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
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Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna — both on the progressive wing of the party — have supported pauses on data center construction in various forms. Khanna said he supports pausing data centers in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where he said projects had been forced on communities. He did not directly endorse Sanders' broader call to halt AI technology.
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Several Democrats tried to show a tough stance on data centers without endorsing a full moratorium. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration criticized “irresponsible” data centers, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker revoked tax breaks for such projects. A spokesperson for Arizona Senator Mark Kelly said there should be “no data centers in communities that don't want them.”
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Senators Chris Van Hollen (Maryland) and Cory Booker (New Jersey) pointed to legislation they co-sponsored that would force data centers to cover their own energy costs; Van Hollen said Americans should not subsidize the energy bills of the planet’s richest corporations.
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Senator Chris Murphy (Connecticut) directed reporters to a Substack post in which he criticized the values guiding AI development he observed on a Silicon Valley visit, saying talk of ethical AI can amount to “whitewash.”
Voter backlash and political consequences
Public opposition to local AI data centers has surged: a Fox News poll found that 70% of voters oppose building an AI data center in their community. That backlash has pushed some candidates — both Democrats and Republicans — running in this year’s midterms to embrace pauses or moratoria. For example, Michigan Senate GOP nominee Mike Rogers supports a one-year moratorium on new data centers; Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton calls for a “conditional moratorium;” and Pennsylvania GOP nominee Stacy Garrity favors a “pause.”
Some Democratic strategists warn the party’s presidential hopefuls are too slow to craft a populist message on AI, potentially ceding ground to Republicans. Progressive pollster Adam Carlson warned it would be a strategic mistake if Democrats don’t stake out leadership on the issue, suggesting a Republican candidate such as JD Vance could gain advantage by being first to back a data center moratorium.
Legislative moves and industry responses
Bernie Sanders was the first member of Congress to back a data center moratorium late last year. Since then, several politicians across the spectrum have supported state-level pauses; New York enacted a one-year moratorium on hyperscaler data centers.
On the industry side, OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman announced last week that the company has temporarily paused some training of its technology.
Why this matters
The question of how to regulate AI — from halting certain lines of technological development to restricting where and how data centers are built — is becoming a political battlefield. The mix of voter opposition, local activism, legislative initiatives and cautious or noncommittal responses from presidential hopefuls suggests AI could be a defining issue in the 2028 race, shaping which candidates are seen as responsive to public concern about energy, local impacts and existential risks.
