President Biden trolls Trump with $3.3 billion Microsoft AI project in Wisconsin
WASHINGTON ― Six years ago, then-President Donald Trump hailed the “eighth wonder of the world” at a groundbreaking ceremony in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, for a high-tech campus planned by technology manufacturer Foxconn.
But the $10 billion project fizzled, and the sprawling facility was never built.
Now, President Joe Biden is headed to the same spot in Racine County, Wisconsin, Wednesday afternoon to tout his administration’s role in jump-starting a $3.3 billion artificial intelligence data center by Microsoft that is expected to create 2,000 tech jobs along with 2,300 construction jobs.
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The White House is highlighting the story of Racine as perhaps the clearest example of Biden following through on a manufacturing boom that Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, promised but failed to deliver.
“That failed deal ultimately left behind Wisconsin residents and workers,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “President Biden is delivering on his promise to bring good jobs that will have a lasting impact on communities and families.”
More: Microsoft Racine County data center expansion, new AI training focus of Biden visit to state
About 1,000 manufacturing jobs left Racine and 6,000 manufacturing left Wisconsin during the Trump administration, according to the White House.
Wisconsin, which Biden narrowly won by less than 1 percentage point in the 2020 election, is again a key battleground state that will help decide the 2024 election.
Biden, who recently scrapped his “Bidenomics” slogan amid lingering concerns about the economy, is seeking credit for using the federal government to spur a wave of domestic manufacturing projects through his “Investing in America” agenda.
Biden pushed through multiple pieces of legislation that offer financial incentives for businesses that invest in clean energy and microchips, as well as a historic spending on infrastructure.
“This administration has been enormously helpful,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said Wednesday in an interview on CNN, singling out the infrastructure law, the Chips and Science Act and the White House’s work to regulate artificial intelligence.
Former President Donald Trump takes part in a 2018 ceremonial groundbreaking for Foxconn’s factory in Mount Pleasant, Wis. The project was never built, and on Wednesday President Joe Biden touted a $3.3 billion Microsoft artificial intelligence campus for the same site.
A poll last month conducted by Marquette University Law School found Wisconsin voters trust Trump over Biden to handle the economy by a 52%-34% margin.
Microsoft plans to pair its data center with a new job training program, operated by Gateway Technical College, that’s expected to train 1,000 employees in artificial intelligence work.
Microsoft’s first data center building is under construction and expected to open in 2026, with plans for three others on the same site. In all, the company owns nearly two square miles of industrial land, positioning it for decades of new construction.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Biden trolls Trump with $3.3 billion Microsoft AI project in Wisconsin