Brian Jack Talks Data Centers, Trump Policies, and Iran on Ride to Tyrone

U.S. Rep. Brian Jack stayed at the Fayette County GOP event until nearly the last attendees had left, greeting people, answering questions, and talking politics long after the formal program had ended. Jack, a Peachtree City resident elected in 2024, represents Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes much of Coweta County, portions of Fayette County, and stretches west toward Columbus. 

Then he headed to the far corner of the parking lot, where his Ford Bronco sat looking almost impossibly pristine.

The ride-along was his idea.

Jack had invited The Citizen to ride with him from the Fayette GOP gathering to the Tyrone Post Office, where officials and media were gathering for a reopening event after years of delays. What followed was an 18-minute conversation about Fayette County politics, data centers, President Donald Trump’s policies, the conflict with Iran, and what Jack sees coming in 2026.

There was also one unavoidable observation.

The congressman’s Bronco may be the cleanest vehicle in Georgia.

Before pulling out, Jack slipped on a pair of glasses to drive and then proceeded to follow every traffic law between Fayetteville and Tyrone. Later, The Citizen jokingly asked his team if he was AI, because the whole thing was almost too perfect.

They said no.

Probably.

Fayette as a battleground

As Jack drove toward Tyrone, he quickly turned to Fayette County’s political shift, describing it as one of the counties to watch in Georgia heading into 2026.

“I think this county is going to have more surrogates come through it than just about any other county, because of how much of a swing county it is,” Jack said. “It was already a swing county in 2020. Definitely was a swing county in 2024, and I think this is going to be the ultimate swing county in 2026.”

Jack said he believes Fayette’s changing political identity is tied less to any one industry and more to the number of people moving into the county.

“I think it’s just the nature of the county is so transient that I think, because of that, it doesn’t have the same political identity it once did,” Jack said. “Maybe there’s a little bit tied into the film industry, but I think there’s also just a ton of people moving to Georgia.”

Trump policies and the economy

Asked about criticism of Trump’s policies, including concerns about cuts to social programs and the cost of U.S. involvement in the conflict with Iran, Jack’s answer repeatedly returned to the economy.

Rather than respond point by point to concerns about programs that serve children, nonprofits, and disadvantaged populations, Jack pointed to Trump Accounts for children, the Republican tax package, and what he expects will be a stronger economy in the months ahead.

“Well, certainly respect your perspective,” Jack said. “I will note the Trump accounts are now live for children, so as children are being born, they’ve got an opportunity to have effectively a bank account that’ll ripen at a later age with some serious money. I think 20, 30 years from now, we’ll talk about the success of that.”

Jack said he was proud to support what he described as the largest tax cuts in American history, connecting his current vote in Congress to his earlier work in Trump’s first administration.

“I got to work on the first round of the largest tax cuts in American history when I worked for the President in 2017, and then it was an honor to cast my vote for the largest tax cut in American history,” Jack said.

He said he believes the political effect of those policies will become clearer over time.

“I think we’re all very hopeful that the economy will continue to grow at record levels over the next few months,” Jack said. “If we rewind our minds to the economy of January 2019 and February 2019, which were 13 and 14 months, respectively, after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was passed, the economy was featuring truly explosive growth.”

Iran and presidential judgment

On Iran, Jack said he trusts Trump’s judgment and supports giving the president room to negotiate.

“I think with respect to the Iran war, I mean, I think we could all accept some baselines,” Jack said. “I would disagree with anyone who thinks it’s a good idea for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. So, I think we all agree with that baseline, and I trust the president’s judgment.”

Jack said Trump has access to intelligence unavailable to the public and argued that the president should have flexibility to negotiate with Iran.

The destination for the ride added another layer to that answer. Inside the Tyrone Post Office is a tribute honoring 1st Lt. Robert W. Collins, U.S. Army, a Tyrone soldier who died in Iraq in 2004.

Jack referenced Collins while discussing Iran and the broader legacy of America’s involvement in the Middle East, saying he wants Trump to have “the flexibility to be able to negotiate the best deal possible.”

Deregulation and waste

Asked what he wants to accomplish in a second term, Jack first pointed to deregulation.

“I’d like to see more deregulatory action,” Jack said, referencing work involving Rinnai water heaters and Alta Refrigeration in Peachtree City.

He said deregulation has become one of the policy areas he has focused on most closely.

“I very much care about trying to eliminate the waste, fraud, and abuse we continue to see,” Jack said.

Jack said he was recently appointed to a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee task force focused on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.

“You do have, I mean, it’s inarguable, you have fraud out there that prey on senior citizens, that prey on a whole variety of people, and are able to then take advantage of some of the federal government’s benefits to American citizens,” Jack said.

Data centers and local control

As the Bronco passed the large QTS data center campus under construction in south Fayette County, the conversation turned to one of the hottest local issues in both Fayette and Coweta counties.

Jack did not take a simple pro-data center or anti-data-center position. Instead, he focused on whether residents should have a greater voice in decisions involving projects of that scale.

“First and foremost, I’m inspired by what I’m seeing across the district, as it relates to people calling for referendums and an opportunity to have county-wide say in projects of this scale,” Jack said.

Jack said data centers can offer economic benefits in some parts of the country, particularly rural communities seeking investment and tax revenue. He questioned whether Fayette and Coweta face the same economic pressures.

“We’ve got tons of business that flock to our counties because they want to be here,” Jack said. “I think data centers offer an opportunity for rural, impoverished counties that may benefit from some of the tax advantages that will come to it, but I’m not sure that our counties — I guess I would dispute the notion that our county is in desperate need of economic growth and development, because so many businesses want to come here on their own.”

He said local governments benefit when they have clear public direction on controversial issues.

“It’s been a core principle of mine, that the more democratic participation, the better outcomes for government,” Jack said.

A short ride, a revealing conversation

As the Bronco approached Tyrone, Jack pointed out an oddly out-of-place palm tree along the route, calling it one of those local curiosities he had always noticed.

The drive ended at the Tyrone Post Office, where officials, media, and invited guests had gathered for the reopening event.

As he pulled in, Jack mused whether the ride itself should be part of the story.

“I just thought it’d be fun,” he said.

It was.

And during the short drive between two public events, readers got a glimpse not only of Jack’s positions on some of the region’s biggest issues, but also of how he thinks about representing one of Georgia’s most closely watched political districts.