Cox takes ‘disagree better’ message to ‘The Daily Show’

Jon Stewart presses Utah governor on political contempt, LGBTQ rights and where civility meets conflict

PARK CITY, Utah — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox took his campaign against political contempt to a national audience last week, appearing on “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart for a wide-ranging conversation about polarization, political power and whether Americans can disagree without treating one another as enemies.

Cox appeared on the Sept. 8 program while promoting his new book, “Off Ramp: How to Be a Peacemaker in an Age of Contempt.” The book builds on themes he has emphasized since the 2025 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.

Stewart challenged Cox’s argument, asking whether some political actions deserve contempt and whether calls for civility can overlook disparities in political power.

The discussion turned to Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, whose social media response to the 2025 killings of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband drew widespread criticism. Cox agreed that Lee’s post was wrong but distinguished condemnation of a specific action from contempt for an entire person or political group.

Cox argued that political disagreement does not require abandoning principles. Instead, he said, Americans need to engage more directly with people they disagree with rather than write them off entirely.

The governor pointed to several Utah examples, including efforts to save the Great Salt Lake and the state’s 2015 compromise pairing LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections with religious liberty protections. Stewart pushed back on the latter, questioning whether marginalized groups should be required to negotiate over rights that others already enjoy.

The pair also discussed Cox’s decision to stop issuing Pride Month declarations and his proclamation of Fidelity Month this June. Cox said Fidelity Month was not intended as a replacement for Pride Month, and he acknowledged that the timing made it appear otherwise.

Cox’s message about navigating deep disagreement comes as his administration is also involved in a contentious land-use fight closer to home, underscoring the same theme in Utah.

In August, Cox senior housing adviser Steve Waldrip criticized Summit and Wasatch counties for opposing Utah’s preliminary municipality law, telling the Heber City Council that state funding could be at risk and saying the counties had effectively “declared war” on the state over development policy. No formal suspension of state funding has been announced, and TownLift previously reported on the comments.

The dispute centers on Senate Bill 258, passed in 2024, which created a process allowing qualifying landowners to pursue new preliminary municipalities in rural counties. Wasatch County leaders argue the law undermines local land-use authority and does not adequately account for infrastructure, housing affordability and existing county planning.

On Sept. 2, the Wasatch County Council unanimously approved a resolution asking state lawmakers to repeal the preliminary municipality law. The county has continued discussions with Cox’s office over housing and development policy.

That disagreement offers a local backdrop to the argument Cox made to Stewart: political conflict is inevitable, but contempt does not have to be.