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Spencer Cox: “You can't get a permit to build a building like that in…”

Featuring: Spencer Cox, Republican | Governor of Utah

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

Published November 25, 2025 | Video Starts at 12:29

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't get a permit to build a building like that in three years anymore. let alone actually build it. We built an interstate highway system. We built these giant dams that power the west and provide drinking water to states like Utah and Arizona and California. (12:29–12:37)

CLAIM

Asserts that obtaining a building permit now takes longer than three years.

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

“We built the Empire State Building in 13 months.”
Spencer Cox on political tension, civility and America's divides | Uploaded November 25, 2025 | 12:27-12:30
“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