MAHA activists challenge Trump’s coal push for data centers

Nearly 200 activists in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement are criticizing President Donald Trump’s promotion of coal to power AI data centers, warning that American leadership in AI should not increase toxic burdens on children. A letter sent to Trump, Kennedy and other Cabinet officials objects to a 2025 executive order aimed at boosting coal for data centers and urges consideration of renewable options, including solar and geothermal energy.

The pushback marks the movement’s first major mobilization over fossil fuels and adds to tensions between MAHA activists and the administration over pesticides, deregulation and environmental policy. Prominent signers include Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America and a former Kennedy campaign staffer, and Charles Eisenstein, a former Kennedy campaign speechwriter. A White House spokesperson said greenhouse gas emissions dropped to a 30-year low during Trump’s first term and said Trump had a mandate to roll back climate policies.

Trump has promoted coal and data centers as central to AI competition and economic growth, while critics across the political spectrum have raised concerns about electricity bills, water use, air pollution and noise. The letter asks the administration to require transparent review of data center location and power sourcing decisions and to respect existing environmental review requirements in permitting.