US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, 22 October 2026 urged technology companies to pay local residents between $10,000 and $15,000 for hosting data centres, blending a pitch for artificial intelligence investment with a call for Republicans to win the upcoming November 3 midterm elections. The remarks were made at a campaign rally in Pendleton, South Carolina.

What Trump Proposed

Speaking to South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Trump floated the idea of direct payments to residents as a strategy to overcome local community opposition to data centre construction. 'Ask for money. Henry, tell them that they have to pay the people $10,000, $15,000. They got plenty of money,' Trump said, addressing McMaster directly from the stage.

Crucially, Trump did not outline any federal programme, eligibility criteria, or legal mechanism that would require technology companies to make such payments. He cited unspecified examples of payments he claimed had previously won public support for data centres elsewhere, but did not name the companies involved or provide verifiable details.

AI and China Competition

The data centre payment idea was woven into a broader argument that the United States must maintain its lead over China in artificial intelligence, which Trump repeatedly described as 'super intelligence.' He also credited tariffs with encouraging companies to build factories domestically and argued that US production of steel and pharmaceuticals was strategically essential — particularly in the event that overseas supply chains were disrupted during a conflict.

Midterm Election Push

Trump framed the November 3 midterms as a personal referendum on his presidency, despite his name not appearing on the ballot. 'In this election, I'm asking you to pretend I'm on the ballot,' he told the crowd, warning that Republican losses could put his administration's tax and border policies at risk. 'And it can go away as fast as it came, so please go out and vote,' he added.

Trump campaigned explicitly for Republican Senate candidate Darline Graham and called on voters to deliver Republican majorities in both the House and Senate. He praised Graham alongside McMaster and Republican senators Tim Scott, John Barrasso, and Bernie Moreno. He attacked Graham's Democratic opponent, Annie Andrews, over transgender healthcare and gun policy, and called for her medical licence to be revoked — though he did not establish legal grounds for either action.

Foreign Policy Remarks

On foreign policy, Trump declared that Iran would never be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon, claiming American military operations had destroyed Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity. He suggested US involvement in the matter would wind down soon but offered no specific timetable. 'We could leave now, but we want to make sure it lasts for a long time,' he said.

Context: Why South Carolina

South Carolina has been a reliable Republican stronghold in presidential contests — Trump carried the state in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Midterm elections, held halfway through a president's four-year term, put all 435 House seats and roughly one-third of Senate seats in play, making their outcome pivotal for a sitting president's legislative agenda. Protesters interrupted Trump's speech multiple times; he praised the law enforcement response each time.