Bisexual former Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said in a Friday Fox Business interview that shes excited to be working hand in glove with the Trump administration as a lobbyist leading a Big Tech effort to expand the U.S. artificial intelligence industry. She also reportedly warned local politicians in her home state of Arizona last month that Trump may force them to build an AI data center whether they want one or not, something that would significantly strain local energy and water resources while adding to air and noise pollution. Related The gay man behind Chat GPT says AI could revolutionize the world but could also destroy it Sinema appeared on Fox Business to discuss her recent launch of the AI Infrastructure Coalition, a group backed by the lobbying firm Hogan Lovells. Hogan Lovells is a global regulatory, intellectual property, and lobbying law firm where Sinema now works as a senior adviser, advising industry leaders on navigating government regulations on AI, technology, fintech, cryptocurrency, and private equity.The coalition which advocates for all aspects of AI, including energy, manufacturing and financing is backed by tech and energy giants, including Andreessen Horowitz, Microsoft, Meta, ExxonMobil, NextEra and Pinnacle West, which owns Arizonas largest utility, Politico reported. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The work that were doing is really supporting exactly what [Trumps] Commerce Secretary Lutnick said at our launch earlier this week, which is to ensure that America wins the global AI race, Sinema told Fox Business. And President Trump and the Trump Administration are going full steam ahead in ensuring that we dominate this and beat China, which is absolutely critical to American interests both nationally and globally.So its a really exciting time, she continued. We are so excited to be working hand in glove with the Trump administration to ensure that American companies and American values are what dominate the AI race globally."We are so excited to be working hand in glove with the Trump administration" Kyrsten Sinema is on Maria Bartiromo's show shilling for AI and praising Trump pic.twitter.com/ZsvpLSeO9U Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 21, 2025 Last month, Sinema spoke at a meeting of Phoenix suburbs Planning and Zoning Commission, warning commissioners that they can either have input on the building of 422,000-square foot AI data center in the nearby town of Chandler or wait for federal preemption when well no longer have that privilege. OD Harris, a member of Chandlers city council, told Politico, As a local official, we never appreciate when a county, a state, or a federal official attempts to insert their authority into our local process. We represent what the voters want because were closest to the people. Sinemas thinly veiled threat comes at a time when Trump is considering signing an executive order that would withhold vital federal funds to any state whose municipalities oppose the building of AI data centers. The order would help AI companies overcome a patchwork of laws that they say stifle innovation, but such an order would likely get pushback from states.Thats because AI critics say that the technology suffers from a lack of regulation and oversight, especially since AI-limited language and image processors illegally built their models by scraping previously published texts and images without asking or compensating their creators. Some AI products have worsened users mental health by reaffirming any of the users beliefs, even if theyre false or harmful; leading some users to develop psychosis or die by suicide.AI critics also note that AI data centers require massive amounts of electricity and water, which can raise local utility costs, consume limited natural resources, and increase local air pollution, leading to respiratory and cardiovascular problems among local residents. Sinemas alignment with Trump and Big AI isnt really surprisingWhile serving in the U.S. Senate, she positioned herself as a political moderate and a reliable ally to the business community: voting against several of former President Joe Bidens labor nominees, opposing an increase in the $7.25 federal minimum hourly wage, preventing tax increases on private equity and venture capital earnings, and providing taxpayer subsidies to exporters.While she highlighted her bisexuality before her election to Congress, she largely avoided mentioning it afterward. During her last senatorial term, she joined another fellow former Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), to block the elimination of the filibuster, and with it, Democrats hopes for enacting legislation on expanded voting, LGBTQ+ rights, the economy, and climate change. It was a stand that brought scorn from Democratic colleagues and voters, alienating Sinema from her non-wealthy constituents and party members. The Arizona Democratic Party voted to censure Sinemain January 2022, citing her failure to help pass federal voting rights legislation. Arizona Democrats also blasted her for being noticeably absent on the campaign trail during the 2022 midterm elections.Her unpopularity and ineffectiveness compelled then Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego to successfully run for her Senate seat in 2024. Polling showed that majorities of Arizona voters from every political affiliation all disapproved of her. Her low approval ratings made her one of the five most unpopular senators in the entire nation.She would have faced Gallego in a re-election race, but instead, she disaffiliated from the Democratic party, becoming an Independent, and then announced her retirement, since her re-election defeat seemed all but certain. She then used her farewell Senate speech to defend the filibuster.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.