Utah governor buries right-wing conspiracist during ambush: 'Stop making stuff up'
In a confrontation that was captured on video, a former congressional candidate spouting a far-right conspiracy theory ambushed Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, asking him about a “smart city” he said was being built at the site of the former Utah State Prison, The Salt Lake City Tribune reported.
But Cox hit back.
“You like to make up conspiracy theories,” he said to the former candidate, Jason Preston.
“I know it’s good for your brand, I hope that works for you, but you don’t get to make up s--- about me. Good luck.”
He added, while tapping his fists on Preston's chest: "I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no such thing as a smart city. Stop making stuff up to try to make me look bad. You don’t like to have real conversations."
The confrontation happened at the Utah Republican Party organizing convention, the Tribune reported. Preston suggested that the state prison was being turned in a so-called "15-minute city," a concept that aims to put everyday destinations within 15 minutes of people's homes.
Preston then asks Cox to appear on his We ARE the People podcast -- a show that The Tribune points out sometimes discusses conspiracy theories.
Preston, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2022, used members of the Proud Boys to help run his campaign. Roger Stone also helped with his bid.
"So-called 'smart cities,' or '15-minute cities,' is the latest big-government boogeyman on the far-right," The Tribune's report stated. "The idea, developed by Carlos Moreno in 2010, is an urban design concept that aims to put everyday destinations for most people within 15 minutes of their homes," claiming that "the urban planning ideas are a Trojan horse developed by a shadowy cabal of global elites, including the World Economic Forum and the United Nations, who want to imprison people in a small area around their homes."
Cox later alluded to his reaction at a separate speech. “Just this past weekend, somebody came, attacked me, and I went into attack mode, and I need to be better. Usually, I’m better, but this time I wasn’t," he said, according to the Tribune.
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