AI summary
- Democrats swept the 2026 midterms on anti-data-centre sentiment, and candidates promising to pause construction won or led in 12 governor races.
- The Nasdaq opened 5.5% lower the morning after the vote, although Microsoft and Amazon rallied in the first post-election session.
- On Friday Trump called SI "GOLD" for states, so the White House isn't backing away from the term.
- For .si buyers, the vote is a reminder that the SI label rests on an executive order and on politics, which makes most .si names a speculative bet.
- I'd only buy a .si for a plain generic name whose .com and .ai are taken or expensive.
What the midterms showed
AI infrastructure was a campaign issue at the US midterms for the first time, and the result wasn't what the industry wanted. According to a report on finance.biggo, Democrats swept the 2026 midterms on a wave of anti-data-centre sentiment. The report says 56% of voters opposed big tech and data centers, and candidates promising to pause construction won or led in 12 gubernatorial races.
Goldman Sachs estimated that 45% of planned US data-centre buildout could now face restrictions. The morning after the vote, the Nasdaq opened 5.5% lower and semiconductor stocks lost 12% of their value.
It's worth being careful about cause here. AI researcher and investor Alexander Wissner-Gross said it's unclear what fraction of the vote was driven by AI sentiment rather than the war, inflation and tariffs. So I won't pretend this was a referendum on super intelligence. The reporting doesn't support that claim, and I'm not going to stretch it.
The market split in two
The headline drop hides a more mixed picture. In the first session after the election, Microsoft jumped 6.7% to $555.80 and Amazon gained 6.1%, and the Nasdaq only extended its slide in the days that followed. Art Hogan of B. Riley Wealth summed up the logic: "if there isn't overbuilding, the value of existing assets increases."
Debt-funded builders didn't get that cushion. Applied Digital and Iren fell between 6% and 13%. The hyperscalers plan to spend more than $740 billion on AI infrastructure in 2026, up from roughly $400 billion in 2025, and the report says that figure could be trimmed if construction slows.
Wissner-Gross doesn't think restrictions will cut demand: "If supply of compute is going to be restricted, demand certainly doesn't seem to be going down," he said. "Demand is going through the roof."
The White House isn't dropping the SI label
On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social: "I am 100% in favor of Super Intelligence (SI), and will work with the many States in the US that want to become RICH by having them." He added: "They are GOLD, and only foolish leadership will say 'NO' to the riches they bring!"
Put that next to the election results and you've got a clear split. Voters in a dozen governor races backed candidates promising to pause construction, while the president keeps calling SI a source of riches for states that say yes. The Register also reported that the Justice Department's Super Intelligence Task Force is now up and running. The administration's language isn't softening.
Why this matters if you're buying .si
The SI term doesn't come from the market. It comes from an executive order. As Edex Live reported, the order Trump signed on September 29 directs federal agencies to replace the term artificial intelligence with Super Intelligence or SI in official correspondence and other non-statutory documents. It also asks the presidential science adviser to submit legislative language for a federal definition within 60 days.
That's the weak point for anyone betting on the word. An order covers agencies, and a definition in law needs lawmakers. The midterms show that AI infrastructure can now win votes for the other side. None of my sources say what a changed political mood will do to the SI term, so I can't tell you it'll fade or that it'll stick. What I can tell you is that a domain whose value depends on SI becoming permanent is a political bet, not a safe one.
There's another thing worth knowing. The Register notes that one financier floated the idea that Trump ordered the shift to boost the value of .si domain names, and it adds: "There is no categorical evidence that the investments are linked to the Trump family, however." Rumours like that make headlines, but they don't make a name worth more.
Names that don't need the politics to work
If you're buying a .si now, I'd rather you picked a name that stands up without the SI label. These four from my inventory fit this story, and here's exactly what the data says:
- bankability.si ($2,500): bankability is the word lenders, solar developers and project-finance teams use, and with 45% of planned buildout possibly facing restrictions, whether a project is fundable is a live question. It gets 6,600 searches a month and has the highest US cost per click in my portfolio at $15.26. The .ai is listed at $49,800 and the .com has been parked since 2002.
- evcharging.si ($4,500): 368,000 searches a month worldwide, a .ai listed at $17,599 and a .com reserved for strategic use. It doesn't rely on US politics at all, because for a Slovenian charging operator it's simply a local domain.
- aimarket.si ($4,500): the .com asks $594,888 and the .ai $47,995, with 12,100 searches a month. It uses the word AI, so it isn't a bet on SI winning the naming fight.
- futurehuman.si ($1,500): the .ai asks $290,000 and the .com has been held since 1999, with 5,400 searches a month. The report cites a framing that data centres have become "the avatar of public ambivalence about the superintelligent economy", and this phrase sits right in that debate.
Should you buy a .si name because of this?
No, not because of the midterms. The election adds political uncertainty around the SI term, it doesn't add value to .si names. Most .si names are speculation, and the aftermarket is small, so don't count on a quick resale.
A .si makes sense only if it passes three questions:
- Is the .com and .ai taken or expensive? If the .com is available at a fair price, buy the .com. It's the better buy for most readers.
- Is it a generic name, not a brand? Plain words only. Don't buy a copy of one company's name.
- Do people search for it? Check real search volume. If nobody types the words, the extension won't save it.
If a name clears all three, a .si can be a sensible, cheaper home for it. If it doesn't, I'd walk away, whatever happens in Washington.
Names from this store that pass the test
Questions
Did the midterms change Trump's SI executive order?
None of the sources say the order has changed. The September 29 order directs federal agencies to use Super Intelligence or SI in official correspondence and other non-statutory documents, and it asks the presidential science adviser to submit legislative language for a federal definition within 60 days.
How did markets react to the midterm results?
The Nasdaq opened 5.5% lower the morning after the vote and semiconductor stocks lost 12% of their value. In the first post-election session, Microsoft jumped 6.7% to $555.80 and Amazon gained 6.1%.
Was the election really about AI?
The report says 56% of voters opposed big tech and data centers, and candidates promising to pause construction won or led in 12 governor races. Alexander Wissner-Gross said it's unclear how much of the vote came from AI sentiment rather than the war, inflation and tariffs.
Is the .si rush linked to the Trump family?
The Register reported that one financier floated the idea that Trump ordered the shift to boost the value of .si domain names. It also said there is no categorical evidence that the investments are linked to the Trump family.
Sources
- finance.biggo, 2026-11-07
- The News International, 2026-11-06
- The Register, 2026-11-06
- Edex Live, 2026-11-07
This post was researched and drafted with AI help from the sources above, then checked by me before publishing. Facts are as reported on the dates shown.