MAHA activists urge Trump to drop coal for AI data centers

Nearly 200 activists associated with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement have signed a letter criticizing President Donald Trump's promotion of coal to power artificial intelligence data centers. The letter, sent Friday to Trump, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and other Cabinet officials, marks the movement's first major mobilization on fossil fuels.

The signatories include at least two former staffers from Kennedy's 2024 presidential campaign. The letter takes issue with a 2025 executive order aimed at boosting coal for data centers, arguing that American AI leadership should not come at the cost of a more toxic burden for American children. It asks the administration to consider solar and geothermal energy instead.

Prominent figures behind the letter include Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America, and Charles Eisenstein, a former campaign speechwriter. Honeycutt said she approached the Kennedy-aligned political action committee MAHA Action to sign on but received no reply.

The criticism comes as a growing number of MAHA supporters have expressed frustration with the administration's environmental policies, including its embrace of pesticides and deregulatory agenda. Some have said they plan to vote on issues rather than party in the upcoming midterm elections.

Trump has repeatedly championed coal, calling it "big, beautiful coal," and has framed data centers as essential to winning the AI race against China. Data centers have become a political flashpoint, with voters across the spectrum raising concerns about rising electricity bills, water use, and pollution.

The letter asks for transparent review of data center location and power sourcing decisions, and for respect of existing environmental review requirements. Honeycutt said her research into coal ash and the impact of data centers on nearby communities left her deeply concerned. "We vote for those who put health and safety first," she said.