# Data Centers, Elon Musk, and the New Politics of Tech, with David Weigel

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/channels-with-peter-kafka-487706/data-centers-elon-musk-and-the-new-politics-of-tech-with-david-weigel
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/channels-with-peter-kafka-487706/data-centers-elon-musk-and-the-new-politics-of-tech-with-david-weigel.md
Podcast: [Channels with Peter Kafka](https://stenobird.com/podcast/channels-with-peter-kafka-487706)
Published: 2026-09-02T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/257/traffic.megaphone.fm/VMP9878416795.mp3
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/257/traffic.megaphone.fm/VMP9878416795.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3200

## Resource

Not long ago, most Americans had never heard of data centers. Now most Americans are actively opposed to them.It’s a head-snapping change — one that is befuddling tech bosses, and forcing some politicians to quickly change their tune.It’s the second part that I wanted to talk to David Weigel about. Weigel has been covering politics for years — he’s at Semafor now — and has a well-earned reputation for on-the-ground reporting, around the US. So I wanted his point of view on why the anti-data center movement — and the anti-tech movement in general — has sprung up, and how it is scrambling elections around the country.Plus: Elon Musk’s return to midterm politics, the growing revolt against Flock cameras, and what it takes for a political reporter to figure out whether an online argument is real in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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## Transcript

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