A few months ago, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was one of several prominent Republicans who steadily distanced themselves from former President Trump, whose brash style ran counter to a brand of politics Cox carefully nurtured based on unity and respect.
Cox did not vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020 and told CNN in July that he would not vote for him this year. The governor said the then-US president’s role in instigating the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol building was exaggerated.
A few days later, after an attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, Cox changed his mind.
cox sent letter to trump He explained that an instinctive reaction at the time of the shooting prompted a sudden assessment and transition to Cox.
His arrest shocked political observers who have methodically watched Cox over the past decade as moderates like Mitt Romney, Utah’s 2012 Republican presidential nominee, rose through the ranks of the state’s leadership.
Cox, 49, said in the memo that he believes Trump can save the country by “emphasizing unity, not hate.”
“You probably don’t like me very much,” Cox wrote. “But I want you to know that I pledge my support.”
Trump, for his part, has not endorsed Cox for re-election.
The couple’s shocking relationship was thrust into the spotlight again last week when they found themselves at the center of controversy at Arlington National Cemetery. After Trump’s staff clashed with a cemetery official, Cox violated rules and possibly federal law by using a photo of Trump’s grave in a fundraising email.
Federal law prohibits campaigning or election-related activities at national military cemeteries, and officials at Arlington said the rule was in effect before Monday’s ceremony to honor 13 soldiers, including one from Utah, killed in an airport bombing as the U.S. military retreated from Afghanistan three years ago.
Cox’s campaign has apologized for politicizing the ceremony; Trump has insisted he has permission to film in a restricted area. A TikTok video of Trump’s visit includes scenes of him and Cox at a cemetery in which the former president blames the Biden administration for the “disaster” of the withdrawal.
The conflicting responses underscore the divide between their political styles and revive questions about why Cox decided to back Trump, who said after the assassination that he has no plans to change course.
“I’m sure he was there to support a family in Utah, and that’s an admirable cause, but with Donald Trump there, he’s fallen into something that raises some ethical questions,” said Chris Karpowitz, a politics professor at Young University. “He’s allowed himself to lose his values, and he’s not the first politician aligned with Donald Trump to find himself in that position.”
Cox’s sudden acceptance that he’s close to reelection in a race he doesn’t expect doesn’t sit well with some of the Utah moderates he worked to win.
Kyle Douglas of Orem said he lost confidence in Cox when the governor decided to endorse a presidential candidate who didn’t share his values.
“I was proud that my governor was still one of the good guys,” Douglas said. “It’s very disappointing to see him sold out.”
Lucy Wright of Provo made her disdain public.
“Trump is a big orange stain on his legacy,” he said.
Karpowitz said he was also surprised by Cox’s transition, recalling that the governor’s idea that Trump could be a unifying figure for the nation was “somewhat naive.” Like many in Utah, the professor said he understands why Cox thought Trump’s support would help the governor politically.
The decision threatens Cox’s credibility among his moderate voter base and will likely do little to woo supporters of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, many of whom booed Cox at this year’s Republican state convention.
Aligning with Trump is known to boost the political profiles of some Republicans, but the former president was not as influential in Utah.
The state is a rare Republican stronghold that has half-heartedly embraced Trump, whose divisive rhetoric and comments about refugees and immigrants have not sat well with many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. About half of Utah’s 3.4 million residents belong to a faith commonly known as the Mormon Church.
Cox, a Latter-day Saint, said he believed God had something to do with saving Trump’s life and even called it a miracle.
At the time of the July 13 shooting, President Biden was clinging to his party’s nomination in the face of continued pressure from many Democrats who feared he might not win reelection after his disastrous debate against Trump in June.
Cox said in his letter to Trump that he was not seeking a cabinet position or a role on the team, but the governor said Atlantic He realized that if he did not side with Trump, he would not be able to have broader influence within the party.
Cox has not publicly expressed a desire to run for national office, but has worked to raise his profile outside of Utah by chairing the National Governors Association. His initiative as chairman, Better Disaffected, focused on restoring civility to politics.
Trump’s endorsement comes a month after Cox defeated staunch Trump supporter Phil Lyman, who has backed false claims of voter fraud since the 2020 presidential election, in the primary. Lyman remained defiant, encouraging his supporters to put their names on the November ballot rather than vote for Cox, who is expected to defeat his Democratic rival even without the support of the state’s MAGA faction.
Cox is not the first moderate Republican, or even the first from Utah, to reach out to Trump despite previous opposition.
Romney was one of Trump’s fiercest critics during the 2016 election, calling him a fraud and a fraud. But after Trump’s victory, Romney met with the president for dinner to discuss a high-level diplomatic post in the Trump administration. After the meeting, he even He praised Trump but has since become one of Trump’s fiercest Republican critics.
Schoenbaum writes for the Associated Press.
