Eric Adams Booed at Wisconsin Rapids Over AI Data Center

Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams was met with sustained boos and heckling from residents of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, during a public meeting on Saturday, August 1, 2026, where he attempted to advocate for a proposed artificial intelligence data center. The contentious event, captured in video that circulated online, highlighted deep local opposition to the project and a hostile reception for the former mayor, who now works as a paid consultant for development firms.

Adams appeared at the meeting on behalf of PNK Group, an industrial engineering and construction company. The firm is seeking to develop a 209-acre data center on the site of a former paper mill along the Wisconsin River. The mill closed in 2020, resulting in the loss of approximately 900 local jobs. PNK has stated the new project could create between 50 and 150 permanent jobs, though the company has not publicly identified a specific tenant for the facility.

From the moment Adams introduced himself, the audience responded with loud boos and shouts of "Go home!" One attendee yelled, "You belong in prison!" a reference to the federal corruption case against Adams that was dismissed before he left office....