Now the propaganda is that the anti data center movement is a fake campaign by China.

Which, sure, maybe it's amplified by them but go visit any of these cities public council meetings. People are legit mad about them. Energy prices are already through the roof, they are massive facilities that don't provide much local employment after being built (even the construction crews are contracted in from elsewhere), they get massive tax breaks in exchange for 1 time local development fees, get exempted from noise ordinances, pollution laws, and crammed down communities in backroom deals.

Not hard for foreign adversaries to escalate what's already a terrible deal for the citizens of most cities.