BENSON BYTE: Taylor Riggs - Trump's Critiques of Gas Price Gouging "Sounds Like Socialism and Communism"

I won't, you know what, I won't name them. There is a product that I love and we use. And then I saw on Instagram that the Maha people said, oh, they just sold their soul. They sold out to big food. Cross them off your list. They're not an independent startup anymore. But absolutely. I mean, I think it was a couple months ago I interviewed the CEO of Poppy who sold out to. I believe it was a Pepsi or a Coca-Cola that sold for billions of dollars. That's awesome. That's every entrepreneur's dream. That's the American dream. You start a little soda company or sell out. And then obviously it's up to the consumer to decide, you know, if Procter & Gamble bought you. Or is that do you still have the beliefs that I value? You would hope that in those deals when these small companies sell out, they make a deal with the big companies. Like, please maintain the integrity of the manufacturing. Please maintain the integrity of the ingredient. But, you know, that's up to the market to figure that out. Consumers can decide that big food will figure that out. But I always want to root for the entrepreneur who gets to sell out, if you will. Yeah, I agree with you. And I think that that is what. people strive for, is to find an area, find a hole in the marketplace, fill it, and then cash out. Yeah. You know, I mean, and that's America and that's great. Taylor Riggs is with me, host, co-host of the big money show, of course, Fox Business, and follow her at Riggs Report, where she always posts great videos about her day, which goes for 18 hours. I don't know how you do it, but talk to me about data centers because I saw in Texas. The governor Greg Abbott just put a stop on data centers or temporary halt. Everywhere you're hearing stories now about angry residents coming out to town council, these counties, whatever, and they're yelling. We don't want these things anymore. We don't want them. And then you have people like Elon Musk and others who say, if you say no to these, you're letting China win. Yeah. That's just something similar that was said by, I think it was John Fetterman too. So break it down for us and how you see all this playing out, Taylor. I want to say yes and yes to both sides. I am pro-AI. I'm pro-data center. I'm pro-taking on China. I'm pro-winning the AI race. I'm pro-A.I. American technology. That said, I do understand that there was major backlash against these AI data centers. What I like is we're having the debate. is we're hearing from people on the local city council or at the town hall who are angry and they have every right to be heard. What I want to see more of is some of the representatives from big tech to go to those local councils and say, all right here, let's talk about this. Here is what we're not promising to do, but here is what we will do in writing via a contract to give back power, to help the integrity of the grid, to give back water. I think if big tech did more of that talking and communication, there would be more...

acceptance of these data centers. But Big Tech has been silent. They thought that we don't have to, we're just going to come build it. We're going to sneak it in your backyard. You're going to complain and too bad. And they didn't come and speak to the community. So I think shame on Big Tech. I don't blame people for not trusting Big Tech. I don't trust Big Tech. No one trusts these people. So they pissed off people on the right. Now they're pissing off people on the left. Now everyone hates them. That's their problem. They're going to have to figure it out. But I do like, and I'll channel my coworker who I love, Brian Brenberg, where he says, the best thing is that this is federalism. Every state is going to compete. And then 10 years from now, we can look back and say, which policy got it right? I think in New York, when they banned fracking 10 years ago, they lost. Our power prices are higher. We're importing power from Pennsylvania, blah, blah, blah, because you ban fracking in New York. Now you want to ban data centers. Okay. Let's see in 10 years. how that policy turns out. Other states are going full throttle ahead. Do they get more energy, more power, more tax revenue, more jobs? Maybe, maybe not. So I think the best news is we're going to see this play out. Every state's going to compete and we'll find it out. I guess I am surprised by Texas as well, though someone often reminds me on my show. Populism is a horseshoe. So populism on the right. is meeting populism on the left. And both sides are meeting in the middle where we're very angry about this specific issue because big tech is pissed off people on the right and the left. And so, um, Yeah, big tech allowed with the censorship during COVID. Totally. I mean, no question about that. And saying that I'm not allowed to speak out about COVID. I'm not allowed to question a vaccine or just have an opinion about it. That is anything negative. And the way that they just like carelessly spy on people. I mean, people are waking up to the flock cameras in their towns and their communities too. I live in Jersey. I was active in Jersey politics for most of my career until I got into radio. And I, as somebody who was a former local county official, I just. How these things snuck into our towns and our... I mean, it just happened almost overnight. Yeah. And you know that there's money attached to that, where they're hiring lobbyists who are going to the towns and the counties and they're saying, here, get these big contracts. That's the kind of stuff that really makes people angry, much like the data centers, because all of a sudden it shows up and they go, you didn't ask us. Consent to the governed here. This episode is brought to you by Adobe Firefly, the all-in-one creative studio with AI-powered image and video generation. Built for today's creative process, Firefly helps you generate, edit, and experiment fast, because the asks aren't getting smaller. And the timelines? Ooh, yeah, still tight. With all the best creative AI models in one place, Firefly brings your ideas to life. Learn more at adobe.com slash Firefly. Yes. Right. And like are you getting, I'm also, and you and I may have spoken about this. I don't want tax breaks or kickbacks for anyone. No. I don't need you to say, well, if you come build a data center here and invest this many billions of dollars, I'll give you a break on property taxes for the first three years to get you started. No. No. Let's do a level playing field. No one needs a tax break except the people. Right.

I will create a good business environment where you can come. We have low property taxes to begin with. We have low corporate taxes, low business taxes to begin with. Come, build and invest. I have a business friendly environment. But you're not getting any promise beyond that or a tax credit or an incentive. All the studies have shown that most incentives don't really work when you try to do that in the long term. I think just having a good business climate environment to start with is the way to go. So we'll see this play out. I haven't seen Governor Greg Abbott's letter. I did read Kathy Hochul's letter where she was pretty adamant in the op-ed that she wrote about why they were banning data centers. I think our frustration with that is like you've seen your record on fracking and now you're double down. Yeah. And being really now anti-business. I want to look into what the Texas governor has to say. But again, pausing for a year. China just last month put a data center on the floor of the sea. And they're using the cold ocean water to cool off the data. Like, we've got to go. on this stuff we do not want to be behind people wait till though people at the jersey shore lose their freaking minds if you tell them you're putting a data center off like the jersey shore for example imagine they would be no way they would they would not want it i mean there's i so there's that aspect of it but elan Elon Musk may save a day by putting it on the moon or putting them in space we will find out at 4 p.m. tonight he's going to be talking about space x earnings and we'll get to hear from him for the first time he wants data centers in space Look, I'm joking with you. That's like a 20-year goal, maybe a 10-year goal. But it's something that they've said is actually a legit goal. So Pennsylvania is going all in on data centers. They are. Senator McCormick just had his big summit on AI in Pennsylvania. The president came. Governor Josh Shapiro was there. Senator John Fetterman was there. And they're going all in on nuclear, natural gas, AI. From a political analyst perspective, I don't know how that helps him necessarily going into a primary in 2028. But it is the right thing to do for the state. for the commonwealth. It's what people want. It's they want the jobs. They want all this. But again, you do run into the NIMBY problem. And I see this from covering Pennsylvania. Like there are people who want, we want it, but we just don't want it in our backyard. So what's the biggest concern that people have with it being in their backyard, you think? I think there's a few things. One is visual. I think that even though you can put up like fake hedges. Did I talk to you about this? No. If I put it fake hedges. We talk about a lot of things. We haven't talked about fake hedges yet. Fake plastic trees are my favorite. Exactly. So I can put that around the data center. But when you're driving down the street, you're like, I can still see that's not like a real bush. And then someone told me it's like when you build a windmill, but then you wrap the windmill in green shrubbery. Like it's still a windmill. You know what I mean? That's a cell phone tower. You're not fooling me. Yes, totally. So I think it is visual. But I think people have very real concerns about water and power. Power bills right now at your home. And I just got mine. And I guess it was a warm summer. We used more air conditioner than not. It only went up $70. But I looked at my husband and I said, we've got to tone down how much air conditioning we're using. I can afford to pay that. I keep my house at 82 degrees now.

Yeah. No, I'm kidding. Oh, well, I'm at 75 because I can't afford to live at 68. I would love to, but I live in New York. And we just are importing our power because we refuse to build our own. Same with Jersey. I mean, until we get the nuclear down on the grid in South Jersey in Salem County, for now the last governor did the same thing. He said, we're going to shut down all the coal-fired power plants. We're going to complete. And then now everybody's paying more. Yeah. And they wonder why. So I think they're worried that AI data centers. And I actually. don't the studies that I've read show that these AI data centers contribute they don't take and I actually think this is a great backdoor way to privatizing utility grid systems because I don't like how it's this like big monopoly like you only get two choices heavily heavily regulated so I would like that I could have five tech companies come in build their own power and then now that sector is privatized. Yeah. That's sort of, again, a five or a 10 year issue. So I think there are real concerns about power. The companies have signed a pledge, but again, I don't want a pledge. I want writing in a contract that says, I will not use from the grid. I will contribute to the grid. Or I'll be self-sustaining. A lot of companies, I think the third NIMBY issue is about water. A lot of these companies can build sort of water cooling plants so that they're not taking from the system. So again, I think it's mistrust, and I think it's bad information all around. People don't know what is true and what's not. As a maha mom. Are there any concerns, health concerns that worry the maha mom community? Because Taylor is our bridge to the maha moms. I know. I think my problem on this, though, is I'm in New York City. Yeah. So I'm not in the suburb. But I have heard some concerns. I don't know what state it was about water pollution from the, allegedly from the AI data center. And it kind of felt like this Aaron Brockovich moment. of is this going to be where there's big pollution? So I think people have legit concerns. I like that we're having concerns. I want big tech to respond. I want instead of, I don't know what they're doing behind the scenes lobbying or not with New York and Texas governor, but I need more of them to come to these local meetings and talk to me. Tell me about it. Tell me what you're doing or what you're not doing and let's have a conversation. Because every American wants AI to succeed. Yeah. We want to beat China. Like we love this country. But you have to tell me more about what you are and are not doing to help support local communities. Taylor Riggs in studio with me, co-hosts of The Big Money Show on Fox Business and follow her on social at Riggs report. You're going to get great financial news and also a peek into the life of Taylor Riggs, which is an amazing life. Is it? From the banana at 5.30 in the morning or 4.30 in the morning to... All right, to talk to you about gas prices. Are they here to stay? What's going on? Yeah, so we're at 409, I think on average right now. And I think we just did a report today that's up 45% since the beginning of the year. That feeds into the affordability conversation. I don't know. I mean, oil prices were down today because there were conversations that Iran would let Europe mine, demine, the Strait of Hormuz, come in and take out all of the mines that Iran had planted.

That would be helpful because I think the U.S. has looked around at NATO and everyone else and said, you guys are going to step up or you want Iran to have a nuclear weapon and come destroy you? The choice is yours. So if Iran would allow that, I think that would be really helpful. I think the UK in particular has really good technology around demining the straight. Oil prices were below 80 at that point. I mean, you got down to 79 on Brent, 73 on WTI. So. Does that bring down prices at the pump? Yes, slowly, but surely. One thing I will say, didn't love how the president came out and was criticizing big oil. I want to just set a few things straight. I know he's just poking and prodding because he wants people to know that he cares about affordability. And I appreciate and respect that. But telling ExxonMobil or Chevron that they have to, that they're price gouging or that they need to give price their profits back to the people. That sounds like socialism and communism, and I don't like that. Also, I want to be really clear, big oil does not set the price at the pump. Who sets the price of the pump? Your local neighbor whose franchise it is at the local shell station, that's who sets the price of the pump. And so I don't like this whole price gouging thing because then that turns me against my neighbor. I know in my hometown in California, I have two guests. I think it's a Chevron and a shell, and they're on competing corners. And they watch each other. And when one dips, the other one has to dip because they know I'll just go to the next corner. They set that. And the guys who own that are local franchise people who live in our community. And so I think it's a little bit of a myth to say it's big oil price gouging people. They don't set the price. They're making money as they should, but they're making money because the oil price is high. And that's because we're in a conflict with Iran. So I'll kind of leave that there for what it's worth. But look, affordability is the issue. We're going into primaries tonight in Missouri we talked about on our show. In Michigan, we talked about. And we are really looking at socialism in this country. And I think we need to understand how we got to this moment. And if we... wanted things to be affordable and they're not affordable, people will go in another direction. Taylor Riggs, the great Taylor Riggs. Follow her at Riggs Report and watch the big money show every day on Fox Business. You're the best. Thank you, Taylor. We'll be right back here on Guy Benson. That was yet another Guy Benson bite. For full episodes of Guy Benson, go to Guy Benson.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

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