Let’s talk about federal power grabs specifically around AI. (Please read the fine print.)
Trump loves to preach “state’s rights,” but his new AI provision does the opposite. Buried in his “Big Beautiful Bill” is a 10-year ban on state and local governments regulating AI. That means states can’t protect you from algorithmic discrimination in hiring, housing, healthcare, or education. No state laws against facial recognition, AI surveillance, or data misuse. No guardrails. No transparency. No accountability.
And who benefits? Elon Musk.
This bill is a goldmine for Musk and not just for xAI and Grok. It directly benefits Tesla too.
Tesla’s self-driving software is powered by AI. Normally, states can enforce safety standards, data collection limits, or rules about how that AI operates on public roads. With this bill, those laws are wiped out. States can’t demand transparency in crash data. They can’t block features they deem unsafe. They can’t even require Tesla to explain how its decision-making software works because all of that falls under “AI.”
Meanwhile, Musk is building Stargate a sprawling AI infrastructure project to train models like Grok and power Tesla’s full self-driving systems. One of the first sites is in South Memphis, where Musk’s xAI quietly set up a massive data center in just 19 days. It runs on 35 methane gas turbines without proper emission controls, releasing pollutants like nitrogen oxides into a community already burdened with high asthma rates and poor air quality. Local residents were never informed no hearings, no environmental review, no accountability.
And now, with Trump’s bill, states wouldn’t even have the option to step in.
So while you’re being watched, tracked, and judged by unregulated AI, Musk gets a blank check to pollute, profit, and operate above the law on your streets, in your town, and with your data.
This isn’t about freedom. It’s deregulation for billionaires, and a centralized power grab at your expense.
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