According to CNBC, Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, defended President Donald Trump's energy and economic agenda on Friday during an appearance at a southwestern Ohio steel mill with Vice President JD Vance, as Republicans worry backlash over data centers could threaten his Senate seat. The National Republican Senatorial Committee warned in a memo days earlier that data centers have become a "sleeper issue" this election cycle, and Husted said higher electricity costs stem from Democratic policies rather than data center construction. Ohio is home to several large data center projects, including a proposed 10-gigawatt campus in Pike County that could cost more than $500 billion.

Husted also highlighted a $500 million Department of Energy grant to Cleveland-Cliffs for upgrades at its Middletown, Ohio, facility, and the company said it will match the funding for a total $1 billion investment. Cleveland-Cliffs said the project would employ more than 1,500 workers during construction.