Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, has stunned conservatives after he appeared to endorse the presidential prospects of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising Democrat star widely expected to run for president in 2028.
Cox joined Shapiro for a joint CNN interview that aired while President Donald Trump was holding an economic rally in Pennsylvania.
Shapiro, who enjoys strong poll numbers in his battleground state, has long been viewed as a likely Democrat contender and was reportedly a finalist to become former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate before she ultimately chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
During the interview, CNN host Dana Bash directly asked Cox whether Shapiro would make a good president.
“Yeah, I do,” Cox replied immediately.
“Governors make the best presidents”
The Utah Republican went on to praise Shapiro’s governing style, saying he has been impressed with the Democrat’s willingness to embrace policies more often associated with red states.
“I have to tell you, I think… I’m very biased towards governors,” Cox said.
“I think governors make the best presidents. I just do.
“I think for this very reason, we always say that potholes aren’t partisan.
“As governors, we actually have to accomplish stuff.
“And our system was set up for the states to be laboratories of democracy so that we could learn from each other and steal ideas.”
Cox pointed to Americans “voting with their feet” by moving to states that match their political preferences, before specifically praising Shapiro’s policy record.
“So I’ve been very impressed with what he’s been able to do on the economy with permitting reform, cutting regulation.
“That sounded like red state stuff, and he’s doing it, and that’s impressive to me,” Cox said.
“And so yeah, I think there are a lot of governors in this country who would make great presidents, and I think he would be one of them.”
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Conservatives Furious
Cox’s glowing comments prompted immediate backlash from conservatives, who accused him of abandoning the Republican base and taking shots at President Trump while appearing on leftist propaganda network CNN.
“Was wondering where Mitt Romney had gone,” Fox News host Laura Ingraham wrote.
“Utah Gov. Spencer Cox sits for an endless interview on CNN to hit President Trump’s ‘tone,’ after years of Dems’ lawfare and defaming Trump as Hitler.”
Others pointed to Cox’s history of clashing with the conservative grassroots, describing him as a “moderate” Republican increasingly out of step with the party’s direction.
Distancing from Trump and GOP Base
Cox has repeatedly angered Republicans in his own state:
• He vetoed legislation banning gender reassignment surgeries for minors in Utah.
• He has repeatedly expressed skepticism toward President Trump.
• Cox admitted he did not vote for Trump in either 2016 or 2020.
• He has called Trump “divisive,” further alienating himself from MAGA-aligned voters.
With Trump dominating the national GOP and Republicans increasingly intolerant of party figures seen as sympathetic to Democrats, Cox’s comments about Shapiro have only cemented his standing as one of the most controversial Republican governors in the country.
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