President Donald Trump has made several recent decisions that have polarized voters. These include his tariff-heavy trade strategy and his handling of both the Ukraine war negotiations and the Israel-Iran conflict. This week, however, Trump spared some time for a concern that should unite most Americans.

Wind turbines.

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One of Trump’s Day One executive orders struck a blow to the heavily subsidized wind energy industry, halting the construction of new offshore and onshore wind turbines in federal waters and on public lands. It also ordered a review of existing leases. The Trump administration removed wind energy from the list of “critical” resources and is phasing out the tax credits that fund new wind and solar projects by 2027. Now, Trump is using the bully pulpit to get his message across: “We will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States. They’re killing us. They’re killing the beauty of our scenery … It’s the most expensive form of energy. It’s no good,” Trump said in Scotland on Sunday.

The main problem with wind power is its inefficiency. Despite record investments in wind and solar power under the Biden administration and decades of propaganda demonizing the fossil fuel industry, wind and solar make up less than 17% of domestic energy production in 2024. The Trump administration is correct that wind and solar are wholly inadequate to meet the needs of the emerging artificial intelligence industry and the increasing demand for electric vehicles. Goldman Sachs projects a 165% increase in energy demand for AI data centers by 2030, and BloombergNEF projects that the demand from data centers will reach nearly 9% of all domestic energy consumption by 2035, up from roughly 3.5%.  

The Trump administration understands that a better path forward is needed on energy production. A series of May executive orders is primed to expand America’s nuclear energy production. According to most experts, nuclear power is the only energy source capable of supporting the nation’s fast-growing AI and EV industries. “Nuclear power plants are 93% reliable throughout the year, produce near-zero emissions, and only occupy small tracts of lands compared to utility-scale solar and wind. Dispatchable, reliable baseload power like nuclear energy is required to meet rising electricity demand and to help lower energy prices,” notes Gabriella Hoffman of Independent Women’s Forum.

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The path forward is clear: ditch the near-useless renewables and build more nuclear reactors.

The Trump administration has hit the nail on the head on one of the most important problems facing our country over the coming decades. 

Brady Leonard (@bradyleonard) is a musician, political strategist, and host of The No Gimmicks Podcast.