Gov. Cox issues apology for insulting Congress
May 23, 2023, 9:30 PM
Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at the PBS Utah Governor’s Monthly News Conference at the Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, June 16, 2022. Cox issued an apology last week after insulting members of Congress during a monthly news conference earlier this month. (Laura Seitz/Deseret News)
(Laura Seitz/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Was it refreshingly honest or a cheap shot? Either way, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued an apology last week after insulting some members of Congress over inaction on immigration and the southern border.
The comment was made at the governor’s monthly PBS news conference. A day later, the governor apologized for his comments.
Just want to apologize for using a derogatory term yesterday to describe members of congress over the past 40 years for failing to fix the border and immigration crisis. As someone who tries to hold myself to a higher standard of dignity and civility, I should be better.
— Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) May 19, 2023
Dave Noriega and Debbie Dujanovic discussed matter during Tuesday’s Dave & Dujanovic.
Noriega opens the discussion by making two points.
“Number one, we have all said something similar, if not the exact same thing or worse at our kitchen table. Who of us have not complained about Congress?” he asked. “Number two, none of us have ever apologized for criticizing Congress in the privacy of our own homes.”
Dujanovic asked, “Are you suggesting that he did not need to apologize?”
“I see why he did,” Noriega said. “I don’t think it was that bad.”
Insulting Congress or just being honest
During the PBS news conference, Cox was asked by a reporter, “What do you think about what Governor Ron DeSantis is doing in Florida with this controversial immigration laws?”
Cox said, “The Constitution is very clear that immigration is a federal issue. But states have to step in because those imbeciles in Congress can’t get their crap together to do something that everybody knows needs to be done. And that is to protect the border and to fix legal immigration. And all they want to do is get reelected by pointing fingers at each other and they divide us, and they do it on purpose. It’s embarrassing and they should all get fired.”
Noriega compares the governor’s comments to that of coaches in his children’s youth sports league.
“What is the coach saying,” he said. “Focus on that versus how he is saying it.”
Noriega goes on to say that you may not like how the governor delivered his comments, but he has a point.
“But what is he saying?” he asked. “He’s saying Congress has not been able to figure out anything in the last 40 years with a problem that is constant that the federal government is 100 percent in charge of.”
Governor extends apology
Cox apologized further on KSL NewsRadio’s Let Me Speak to the Governor.
“I didn’t mean that,” he said. “We have some amazing members of Congress here in the state of Utah. Some of my dear friends that I love. This is more of a 40-year frustration.”
Dujanovic adds, “But does this lead us to a conversation as to whether the governor even needed to apologize?”
Noriega asks, “Was it refreshingly honest or a cheap shot?”
Listen to the entire segment.
Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.
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