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AIQuiet 6d · day 8

Kevin O'Leary blames Chinese operatives for Utah data center opposition

The Shark Tank investor dismisses local protests as CCP plants, but polling shows Americans genuinely oppose hyperscale AI data centers.

newest coverage 6d agosummary written 5d ago3 pieces240 likes & upvotes9 comments MastodonBluesky

What to know

  • Kevin O'Leary accused Utah data center protesters of being Chinese government agents on Fox News after first calling them 'professional protesters.'
  • A Gallup poll released the same week found 70% of Americans oppose data centers in their neighborhoods, with 48% strongly opposed—suggesting authentic grassroots resistance rather than foreign manipulation.
  • Local opposition groups have canceled at least $156 billion in data center construction; 268 groups across 37 states are organizing over 300,000 Americans against hyperscale projects.

Kevin O'LearyKevin O'Leary Investor and data center developerGallup Polling organization

Kevin O'Leary blames Chinese operatives for Utah data center opposition
motherjones.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump posts

Peak 2 pieces in two hours at Sep 18, 2 PM; 3 pieces over 8 days (3 posts) Sep 18, 2 PM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Bluesky 1, Mastodon 1Sep 18, 4 PM — quietSep 18, 6 PM — quietSep 18, 8 PM — quietSep 18, 10 PM — quietSep 19, 12 AM — quietSep 19, 2 AM — quietSep 19, 4 AM — quietSep 19, 6 AM — quietSep 19, 8 AM — quietSep 19, 10 AM — quietSep 19, 12 PM — quietSep 19, 2 PM — quietSep 19, 4 PM — quietSep 19, 6 PM — quietSep 19, 8 PM — quietSep 19, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 12 AM — quietSep 20, 2 AM — quietSep 20, 4 AM — quietSep 20, 6 AM — quietSep 20, 8 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Sep 20, 10 AM — quietSep 20, 12 PM — quietSep 20, 2 PM — quietSep 20, 4 PM — quietSep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 23, 12 AM — quietSep 23, 2 AM — quietSep 23, 4 AM — quietSep 23, 6 AM — quietSep 23, 8 AM — quietSep 23, 10 AM — quietSep 23, 12 PM — quietSep 23, 2 PM — quietSep 23, 4 PM — quietSep 23, 6 PM — quietSep 23, 8 PM — quietSep 23, 10 PM — quietSep 24, 12 AM — quietSep 24, 2 AM — quietSep 24, 4 AM — quietSep 24, 6 AM — quietSep 24, 8 AM — quietSep 24, 10 AM — quietSep 24, 12 PM — quietSep 24, 2 PM — quietSep 24, 4 PM — quietSep 24, 6 PM — quietSep 24, 8 PM — quietSep 24, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quiet 1–2
Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22Sep 23Sep 24yesterdaynow · 11:46 AM ET
  1. 1

    Mother Jones argues opposition data contradicts O'Leary's CCP claims

    Mother Jones reporting notes that data from Data Center Watch shows coordinated local opposition has canceled at least $156 billion in data center construction, and a new Data Center Opposition Report tracks at least 268 local opposition groups across 37 states organizing over 300,000 people, suggesting opposition is grassroots American rather than foreign-directed.

    “Gallup found seven out of ten Americans would be opposed to a data center in their backyard, with nearly half of those surveyed (48 percent) "strongly opposed" to data centers in their area.”
    — Gallup, Polling organization · source
  2. 2

    Gallup finds 70% of Americans oppose nearby data centers

    Gallup polled Americans on data centers for the first time, finding that seven out of ten would be opposed to a data center in their area, with 48% strongly opposed. The poll notes data centers require significant space, energy, and water while providing few jobs relative to investment.

    “These are proxies for the Chinese government is my argument. They're just spreading falsehoods. This is the CCP at work here. There's no question about it.”
    — Kevin O'Leary, Investor and Shark Tank star · source
  3. background

    O'Leary escalates: accuses protesters of being Chinese government agents — On Fox News, O'Leary went further, claiming protesters opposing his data center were proxies for the Chinese government spreading falsehoods.

  4. background

    O'Leary dismisses Utah data center protesters as "professional protesters" — Kevin O'Leary, who is developing a massive data center in Utah on land more than twice the size of Manhattan, claimed that hundreds of people protesting at a county commission meeting were "professional protesters" bussed in from out of state.

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