Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., on Saturday dismissed “AI doomsdaying” and sided with President Donald Trump’s push to speed construction of artificial intelligence data centers, warning that China gains whenever the United States overreacts to the technology’s risks.

Reacting to a Bloomberg analysis on the narrowing U.S. lead over China in AI, Fetterman wrote that “China continues to fuel and benefit from our overreaction.”

The post came four days after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., signed a sweeping order restricting data center development in the state.

Fetterman’s post continued his break with parts of his party over AI infrastructure. In March, he criticized a proposed moratorium on new data centers as “China First” and argued that the technology’s underlying architecture must be built in the United States, not China.

Trump has made a similar case.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday during a summit with cryptocurrency and technology executives, Trump said the U.S. is far ahead of China in AI and argued that local officials benefit from hosting the projects, saying he “would absolutely want it because the jobs are enormous.”

Trump signed an executive order in July 2025 directing federal agencies to speed permitting and offer financial incentives for qualifying AI data center projects, including projects on federal land.

Shapiro’s order takes a different approach.

It requires developers seeking state permits to make binding commitments concerning energy costs, water use, and community engagement, and to obtain all required local approvals before permits are issued. It also removes data center projects from Pennsylvania’s fast-track permitting program, though it stops short of a moratorium.

Shapiro, who once championed a $20 billion Amazon commitment to build two data centers in the state, said developers “can afford to be good neighbors” and follow the new rules. The order remained in effect as of Sunday.

The split reflects a broader divide within the Democratic Party over AI infrastructure heading into the midterm elections. Some Democrats echo Trump’s argument that data centers bring jobs and tax revenue, while others back new restrictions because of concerns about utility bills and water use.

Fetterman has consistently staked out the pro-development position, framing AI leadership as a matter of national security rather than a partisan fight.

Whether Pennsylvania’s new limits slow the data center expansion Trump wants nationwide is likely to remain a live question through the fall campaign.