MAHA Leaders Urge Trump to Reject Coal for AI Data Centers

MAHA Leaders Urge Trump to Reject Coal for AI Data Centers

Prominent figures in the Make America Healthy Again movement have sent a joint letter to President Trump opposing the use of coal-fired power to meet electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centers, setting up a clash with administration officials who support expanded coal generation.

The letter warns that coal combustion creates serious public health risks through soot pollution, mercury emissions, and coal ash containing heavy metals. Signatories include Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America; Charles Eisenstein, a former speechwriter for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and leaders from wellness and food advocacy organizations.

Why it matters

The appeal reveals growing tension within Trump's coalition between health-focused MAGA supporters and administration officials prioritizing energy production for AI infrastructure. It also marks the first major engagement by the MAHA movement on data center energy policy, expanding their focus beyond food safety and vaccine issues.

Administration Backs Coal for AI Power

The Trump administration has moved aggressively to support coal-fired electricity generation, frequently citing AI's power requirements as justification. An April 2025 executive order designated coal as "critical" for meeting rising demand from data centers and other sources. The Energy Department has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to preserve existing coal plants and potentially expand capacity.

The MAHA letter, copied to Kennedy, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, calls for the administration to convene health advocates, farmers, and physicians to develop "health-first standards for AI infrastructure."

Alternative Energy Solutions Proposed

The health advocates argue that cleaner alternatives exist to power data centers, specifically citing solar energy paired with battery storage, advanced geothermal systems, and improved energy efficiency measures. The letter states that the United States can maintain leadership in AI, energy, and national security "without asking children to carry more mercury in their bodies, more soot in their lungs, more heavy metals in their soil and food, or more contamination in their water."

MAHA Expands Focus to Energy Infrastructure

Honeycutt described data center energy as an emerging priority for the movement. "MAHA is not just about getting pesticides out of our food, or having vaccines be safe. We're about not having toxins impact the health of our families and our communities and farmers," she said.

The White House responded by pointing to greenhouse gas reductions during Trump's first term and characterizing the administration's energy policies as protecting both economic interests and public health while rolling back "radical climate policies."

The letter arrives as data centers face mounting scrutiny from politicians across party lines, with various proposals for new restrictions on the industry's growth and energy consumption.

These details were first reported by Axios.