Kevin O’Leary, a star on “Shark Tank,” has alleged that the backlash against his data center construction in Salt Lake City is being fueled by “nefarious accounts out of the country” with ties to China, claiming that a foreign-backed influence campaign is flooding Utah with misinformation. This protest follows local residents organizing demonstrations and filing objections against such large-scale developments. The situation also echoes broader concerns raised by the Trump administration regarding foreign influence on U.S. data center projects amid rising tensions over national technological capabilities.

Kevin O’Leary: Kevin O’Leary is a Canadian-American businessman, investor, and television personality known for his role on the reality show Shark Tank. He has recently promoted and backed a large AI-focused data center development in Utah as part of efforts to expand domestic computing infrastructure. In statements tied to the project, O’Leary has attributed local protests and opposition to coordinated influence campaigns originating from overseas entities linked to China.

`json
{
“Local Protests”: “Utah residents have held public demonstrations at the state capitol and filed objections opposing the construction of large-scale data centers in the region.”,
“Infrastructure Priorities”: “Proponents of data center developments emphasize their role in advancing U.S. technological capabilities amid global competition.”,
“Foreign Influence Concerns”: “The Trump administration has expressed concern over potential foreign-backed campaigns aimed at U.S. infrastructure projects.”
}
`