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Spencer Cox: “We built the Empire State Building in 13 months.”

Featuring: Spencer Cox, Republican | Governor of Utah

Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides

Published November 25, 2025 | Video Starts at 12:27

We used to be a country of builders. We used to build big things, and we could build them very quickly. I always like to say that We built the Empire State Building in 13 months. True. You can get it permit to build a building like that in three years anymore, let alone actually build it. We built an interstate highway system. (12:27–12:30)

CLAIM

Asserts that the Empire State Building was constructed in 13 months.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Spencer Cox

“You can't get a permit to build a building like that in three years anymore.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 12:29-12:37
“We built about 130 nuclear facilities in a very short amount of time. About a 12 year project.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 23:23-23:30
“Now you can't get a permit to build a nuclear facility in 12 years.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 23:45-23:49
“And that leads to things like Charlie Kirk getting assassinated.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 00:37-00:41
“We felt vulnerable, betrayed, and just really down at that moment [after the assassination of Charlie Kirk].”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 01:48-01:55
“The response continues to be overwhelmingly positive [to my call for depolarization].”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 03:11-03:19
“We had a trade mission to New Zealand and Australia, and everywhere we went, they were following the assassination.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 04:07-04:15
“The assassination wasn't just an attack on Charlie Kirk or his family. It was an attack on every single American.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 05:52-05:58
“It wasn't just that there were four athletes. It was that we had actually worked on something that would protect women's sports.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 06:38-06:46
“I vetoed a bill that would ban trans students in sports going across the gender they were assigned at birth.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 06:40-06:54
“We worked for a year to get something done, which was this commission that would protect women's sports.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 07:03-07:10
“It would have bankrupted the high school athletic association and the school district that got sued.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 07:10-07:14
“A judge was never going to let that ban go into effect.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 07:15-07:18
“We were going to spend millions of dollars on a lawsuit that didn't make any sense.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 07:17-07:22
“We did protect women's sports, which was important to me.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 07:25-07:29
“The most successful political leaders in the history of our nation led that way.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 08:20-08:25
“The Constitution...forces us to work together.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 08:33-08:39
“The vast majority of Democrats that I know...were just appalled by what happened.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 09:31-09:43
“Certainly the left hasn't cornered the market on political violence.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 10:22-10:26
“If there are groups out there that are encouraging that type of violence, then we should hold them accountable.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 10:47-10:54
“I believe that [separation of church and state] was is mostly intended for government, not to interfere with religion institutions.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 11:23-18:52
“Government is not delivering on the promises that we've made to people.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 12:07-12:12
“We built an interstate highway system.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 12:36-12:39
“We built these giant dams that power the west and provide drinking water to states like Utah and Arizona and California.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 12:38-12:48
“Permitting reform now we're getting bipartisan and support for after begging for it for years.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 13:59-14:05
“I'm the governor of the state of Utah, which means there has to be a seat at the table for everyone.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 20:33-20:39
“We can't favor members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints over other religions or people of no religion.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 21:52-22:04
“We're trying to build [nuclear power] and lots of it.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 23:05-23:08
“The United States is again leading with new technology, an ability to make these [nuclear facilities] even safer.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 24:10-24:16
“We have to change this. It's happening. Red states, blue states working together.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 24:19-24:24
“The federal government finally gets it. They're working through the permitting process on nuclear as well.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 24:24-24:30
“We have to be able to compete or we are at a significant disadvantage. Not just an economic disadvantage, but a true national security…”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 25:26-25:36
“There should be very little regulation there in the development of artificial intelligence.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 25:49-25:55
“I'm very worried about any type of federal incursion into states abilities to regulate AI.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 26:07-26:16
“Social media companies... have used this incredible tool to utterly destroy our kids and our families, their mental health.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 26:20-26:33
“AI is going to be even worse.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 26:58-27:00
“In Utah, we're going to do everything we can to push back on [the damage that social media has done].”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 28:08-28:11
“What we're looking at now are white collar jobs [at risk from AI].”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 28:56-29:00
“We're trying to do in Utah is to adopt a human flourishing model around AI.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 30:01-30:17
“My legislature meets for 45 days out of the year.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 34:03-34:07