# Video: Rep. Walkinshaw Says AI and Data Center Spending Is Lifting GDP, but 'Hard-Working Families' Are Not Seeing the Benefit

On CNN, the Virginia Democrat credited the AI buildout for the strong growth number and said communities feel 'anxiety and concern and anger.' Breitbart posted the clip with a transcript.

- Section: [Video](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/video/)
- Published: 2026-10-30
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/video-rep-walkinshaw-cnn-news-central-ai-data-center-investment-boosting-gdp-families-not-seeing-benefits-breitbart/

A Virginia Democrat gave a mixed answer on the economy when CNN asked about the latest growth report, in a clip Breitbart posted Thursday.

The setting. Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., appeared on CNN's "CNN News Central." We summarize the transcript Breitbart published and did not watch the video ourselves.

The question. Co-host John Berman noted the "impressive" GDP increase last quarter and asked what is behind it.

The answer. Walkinshaw said: "Obviously, the AI build-out, the data center build-out, all of the capital expenditures in that entire arena, I think, are impacting those macro numbers." He said that at the same time it is "creating a lot of anxiety and concern and anger in communities that are feeling the impact, or Americans who have legitimate concerns about AI." He agreed that "historic levels of investment in all of that [are] driving up GDP."

The turn. Then he said: "The question is, are hard-working families seeing the benefits of that? And I think the answer is, they are not."

Note for readers: his claim that families are not benefiting is an opinion and he offered no figures in the quoted exchange. For the opposite case, see today's Fox News column by Chris Johnson on data centers. To hear Walkinshaw in full, watch at the link below.

## Source

Original reporting: [Breitbart (clip from CNN)](https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/10/29/dem-rep-walkinshaw-ai-data-center-investment-boosting-gdp-but-families-arent-benefiting/)