MTG Slams Trump’s AI Order: “This Threatens State Rights and Water Security”

The Big Picture

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a long-time MAGA loyalist, has broken ranks with President Donald Trump over his latest set of executive orders regarding artificial intelligence. On July 23, President Trump signed three directives to accelerate the global presence of U.S.-made AI systems, including a flagship policy titled “Promoting The Export of the American AI Technology Stack”.

What’s New

In a rare public rebuke of the president, Greene warned the AI executive order (EO) could have devastating consequences for state sovereignty, the environment, and America’s water infrastructure. She strongly opposed provisions that would penalize states for imposing their own AI regulations, saying it “threatens federalism.”

What She’s Saying

Greene, drawing on her background in construction, detailed how data centers—central to AI infrastructure—consume massive amounts of water daily. She warned these facilities will worsen ongoing “water wars” between southeastern states, including Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida.

Environmental and Legal Alarms

Greene warned of a domino effect of lawsuits between counties and states competing for AI investment and struggling to maintain water supplies. She also expressed concern over how fast-tracking AI could mimic authoritarian models, saying:

The Bottom Line

While the executive order aims to assert U.S. leadership in AI, Greene’s sharp pushback underscores growing conservative divisions over federal technology policy. Her vocal opposition could galvanize other lawmakers worried about environmental fallout, economic inequality, and erosion of state authority in the age of AI expansion.

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