White House adviser says AI data center build-out continues after midterms

What happened

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said the administration's effort to win the global artificial intelligence race is continuing despite the midterm election results, which favoured Democrats.

He described data centers as a crucial part of that push, signalling that the build-out tied to President Donald Trump's AI agenda is expected to go on.

Why it matters

Policy signals on AI infrastructure feed directly into equity indices, because the companies building and supplying data centers, from chipmakers to power and construction names, carry heavy weight in US benchmarks. Commentary that the build-out continues removes one source of policy uncertainty around that capital spending theme, while a shift in the political balance can revive questions about permitting, subsidies and energy policy.

Broader macro channels run through the dollar and risk appetite. Large-scale investment programmes influence growth and government spending expectations, which in turn shape currency and rate markets. Crypto miners and token prices are also sensitive to the same compute and power narrative, since data center capacity and electricity costs are shared inputs.

What to watch

Further comments from Hassett and the White House on the AI build-out and data center policy, and any clarification of how the new political balance after the midterms affects the administration's agenda.