Trump Falsely Claims AI Industry Needs 'More Energy Than the Entire Country Produces'

At a press conference during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, President Trump asserted that the AI industry requires 'more energy than the entire country produces right now' and that 'some people say almost double.' Fact-checkers found no credible projection supporting this claim; the highest estimate from federal and independent studies shows data centers accounting for 25% of U.S. electricity demand by 2050, not 100% or 200%. The statement was rated Mostly False by Poynter and PolitiFact. No immediate policy directives or executive actions were documented as resulting from the claim.

“They need, just as an industry, more energy than the entire country produces right now, when you think about it, which is incredible. So, take all of the energy that the United States produces, and that one industry — which is so big, so powerful — it needs more than that. In ...”