Trump Opens Utah For Mining

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Trump Opens Utah For Mining"

Podcast: What A Day
Host: Jane Coston
Guest: Caroline Gleich (Environmental Activist, Professional Ski Mountaineer)
Date: July 22, 2026
Episode Theme:
This episode examines President Trump’s decision to dramatically reduce the size of two of Utah’s treasured national monuments—Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante—primarily to open the land up for mining and extractive industries. Host Jane Coston speaks with activist Caroline Gleich to break down both the political and environmental stakes, the backlash from Utahns, and recent controversies surrounding land use in the state.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Utah’s National Monuments Targeted by Trump

• Action Taken: President Trump shrunk Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by about 90% each, overturning previous protections for over 3 million acres.
  • Purpose: The primary consequence is opening the lands to mining and extractive industries, not making them more accessible, as Trump claimed.
• Quote (Caroline Gleich, 00:00):
  “71% of Utahns want these monuments protected... This was really a blatant disregard for the will of the people.”

2. What Are National Monuments and Why Do They Matter?

• Land Use: These lands, previously protected as national monuments, were open for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other recreational uses. Monument status specifically blocked mineral extraction.
• Cultural and Scientific Value: Bears Ears contains over 100,000 archaeological sites, significant to Indigenous nations and scientists. Grand Staircase-Escalante is noted for dinosaur fossils and other scientific resources.
• Quote (Caroline Gleich, 07:12):
  “What Trump’s executive orders did last week is it opened them to mining. That’s it. That’s the change.”

3. Political and Community Outrage

• Bipartisan Dismay: The reduction of monument land is unpopular with Utahns across the political spectrum including many Republicans.
  • Notable Protest: “A thousand Utahns across the state came together for a monumental day of action,” Caroline notes, highlighting the widespread protest and frustration.
• Local Politicians: Caroline calls out Utah’s federal delegation, including Republican leaders, for failing to represent the will of the people.
• Quote (Jane Coston, 11:28):
  “Pretty much everybody I knew when I lived there, no matter your politics, everybody loves these natural resources. It’s just a part of your daily life.”

4. Environmental and Health Impacts

• Great Salt Lake Crisis:
  • Shrinking lake threatens air quality for up to 2 million people via toxic dust events.
  • Direct link between water policies, agriculture (alfalfa exported to China), and the fate of the lake.
  • Quote (Caroline Gleich, 14:13):
    “It’s really this experiment in public health on a broad scale that we’re living in real time...But it’s also how we get the water that sustains the snow.”
• Legacy of Extractive Industries:
  • Historic uranium and coal mining left contaminated sites and expensive cleanups.
  • Example: Moab’s EPA Superfund site from uranium mining is still being cleaned up at high public cost.

5. The Ongoing "Oligarchy" Debate and Data Center Controversy

• Kevin O’Leary ("Mr. Wonderful"/"Mr. Terrible") Data Center:
  • Plan to build a gas-powered data center in Box Elder County, near the Great Salt Lake, bypassed significant public input and environmental review.
  • Project is estimated to potentially increase Utah’s carbon emissions by 55%.
  • Grassroots backlash is bipartisan and has even driven some Republicans out of office.
• Quote (Caroline Gleich, 16:29):
  “They’re providing enrichment to a small select group of people at the expense of everyday Utahns and working families... It has been one of the most unifying issues that I’ve seen.”
  • (Jane Coston, 17:29): “...the inversions—I can’t—never so bad.”

6. Legal and Political Fallout

• Multiple lawsuits have emerged against O'Leary, Fox, Utah’s legislature, and relevant agencies.
• Caroline expresses optimism:
  • “I’m confident that the will of the people will be greater than the people in power and that we will be able to get representation and accountability.” (Caroline Gleich, 17:34)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Utahns Across the Divide:
  • Caroline Gleich, [11:54]: “71% of Utahns want these monuments protected. They want them intact. And that includes the vast majority of Republicans.”
• On the Great Salt Lake’s Importance:
  • Caroline Gleich, [14:13]: “It’s a real tragedy for environment, for public health to see how far it’s shrank and what the future could hold.”
• On Extractive Industries' Legacy:
  • Caroline Gleich, [12:48]: “Utahns are pretty sick and tired of seeing how extractive industries come in. They take what they want. It benefits a few people in Wall Street while the average Utahn pays the price with our health and the cost to clean up the natural environment.”
• Re: Kevin O’Leary’s Data Center:
  • Caroline Gleich, [16:29]: “It didn’t go through a single public comment period or environmental review. And it has been one of the most unifying issues that I’ve seen... The gas power plant that will power the data center is estimated to increase Utah’s carbon emissions by 55%.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] Caroline Gleich on monument protection and bipartisan support
• [06:43] Explanation of the monuments’ legal rollback and what the change actually enables
• [09:45] Bears Ears’ origin, tribal co-management, and the fallout from the last rollback
• [11:54] Utahns’ outrage, protest day, and specifics on public health/Great Salt Lake
• [14:13] The Great Salt Lake’s shrinking, water politics, and impact on the state’s environment
• [15:50] Data center controversy, public unity, and the scrambling of old political alliances
• [17:34] Legal action, confidence in local activism

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Conclusion

This episode of What A Day offers a compact yet detailed exploration of Utah’s land management battlegrounds: from Trump’s monument rollbacks to the environmental ramifications for all Utahns—and the rise of new, unexpected coalitions resisting extractive interests. The episode centers on how community and science-based activism are pushing back against both federal and local collusion with industry, emphasizing the stakes for public health, democracy, and future generations.

Transcript

[Caroline Gleich]

71% of Utahns want these monuments protected. They want them intact. And that includes the vast majority of Republicans. And so this was really a blatant disregard for the will of the people. And people are really outraged.

[Jane Costen]

I'm Jane Costen and. And this is Whataday, the show saying cheerio to manosphere influencers and credibly accused abusers of women and girls, Andrew and Tristan Tate. Despite the most fervent hopes of these terrible two, the New York Post reported today that the Trump administration will not prevent the United Kingdom from extraditing the pair after they were arrested in Miami on Saturday on charges of rape and sex trafficking. Bye. On today's show, we talk about how Utahns are uniting to fight back against President Donald Trump and private business interests with environmental activist Caroline Gleich. Before we get into Trump's no good, very bad environment destruction adventure, here's what we're following today. Wednesday, July 22nd, some of you are

[Donald Trump]

going with us to honor our heroes. And they are indeed great heroes. Actually, they said, and all of them said very strongly, we can't let, we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. They won't have a nuclear weapon. So we're going to honor them.

[Jane Costen]

There's no evidence that they, in fact said that. President Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base today for the dignified transfer of four U.S. service members killed in the Middle East. It's the third dignified transfer Trump has attended since the start of his war of choice with Iran. Yet despite the fact that 18 service members have been killed, and according to government data, more than 400 others have been injured, Trump continues to add fuel to the fire. He issued a new threat today. The US Will destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump's warning comes as the US Carried out another wave of strikes on Iran overnight. And the costs of the war are mounting. During a Senate hearing Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated that the US has spent $37.5 billion on the war so far, and he wants more. Republicans are currently preparing a $95 billion package to fund the military, along with other White House priorities. So that's more than $120 billion on a war of choice fiscal conservatism. The Trump administration has announced a deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to provide the country with a civilian nuclear program, a deal that could bring in billions of dollars to American companies tasked to help. According to reporting from the Wall Street Journal, Trump approved of the arrangement last week. And Energy Secretary Chris Wright is expected to sign the deal this week. The Washington Post reported today that the deal requires any enrichment taking place in Saudi Arabia be controlled by US Companies with technology that is not shared with the Saudis. But Congress still has to approve the arrangement, which could prove controversial for many reasons, like Israel's intense objections to the deal. While a similar arrangement was proposed under President Joe Biden, that arrangement would have required Saudi Arabia to formally recognize the state of Israel. This deal doesn't have that provision. Arizona Republican Representative Andy Biggs overwhelmingly won the GOP nomination for Arizona governor in the state's Tuesday primary. Biggs will face Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in what could be one of the closest governor races in November. Now, you may be asking, who is Andy Biggs? Well, let's rattle off some details. One, he is a fierce ally of President Trump. Two, he's a former head of the House Freedom Caucus. Three, he supported Trump's failed attempt to block certification of his 2020 election laws. It's worth noting here that according to The Washington Post, two other Republicans who had doubts about the 2020 presidential contest also, quote, won nominations for offices with influence over certifying 2028 election results in the pivotal swing state. So what does Biggs victory really mean? Well, by choosing Biggs, Republican voters risk nominating another conservative warrior who excites the party base but fails to win a general election by turning off independents. You can't forget about independence, people.

[Donald Trump]

Now we are the hottest country anywhere in the world. America is respected like we have never been respected before.

[Jane Costen]

Maybe hot and like temperature terms, but not in the ways that are good. Over the last 20 years, the power of the US passport has declined. According to Henley and Partners, the residence and citizenship planning firm measures the travel freedom of passports based on how many destinations their holders can access without applying for a visa in Advance. As of 2026, the US passport along with Iceland's, is ranked 10th on the firm's Global Passport Index. Both countries have access to 180 visa free destinations. A slew of countries including Japan, South Korea, Denmark, the UK and Poland are ranked higher than the US and ranked first. Singapore, with access to 192 visa free destinations. But that might not make up for average temperatures of 81 degrees. And that's the news. Let's talk about Utah, the Beehive State. I used to live in Salt Lake City. It's a beautiful city in a gorgeous state full of natural beauty from Moab to Park City to Zion National Park. But Utah is also subject to Some of the harshest ramifications of pollution and climate change, like inversions, which happen when a layer of warm air and pollution gets trapped near the ground in a mountain valley. And guess where Salt Lake City is. The result? A layer of gross polluted air that puts the health of everyday Utahns at risk. And then there are wildfires like the one that burned thousands of acres in southern Utah last month. Here's KPVI News.

[Spencer Cox]

Utah Governor Spencer Cox tore the damage yesterday as the Cottonwood fire continued burning east of Beaver. The fast moving wildfire has already destroyed parts of Eagle Point Resort and damaged structures in the area filled with mountain cabins and condominiums. The fire started Monday night and exploded to nearly 60,000 acres by yesterday morning.

[Jane Costen]

And those famous federal lands. Last week, President Trump dramatically reduced the size of two national monuments that aren't only beloved by everyday Utahns, but contain priceless archaeological treasures. But Utah is fighting back against Trump and against the Republican legislators. Letting private industries in a shark tank host run roughshod over what most people in the state actually want. To learn more, I spoke to Caroline Gleich. She's an environmental activist and a professional ski mountaineer based in Park City. Caroline, welcome to what a day.

[Caroline Gleich]

Thanks so much for having me.

[Jane Costen]

Last week, President Trump shrunk the size of two Utah national monuments, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante, by about 90% each. He said he was giving the land back to the people of Utah. And I wanted to talk to you because something he said was, quote, you can virtually not even walk on it. And on Instagram you pointed out, yes, you can. You obviously can. So what is this really about? What is this curtailing of these two national monuments actually about?

[Caroline Gleich]

Yeah. So for those folks that are listening that don't necessarily know, a lot of Utah is federally protected public land. So we have national parks. We, we have land that's managed by the BLM or the Bureau of Land Management. And national monuments fall in between a national park and BLM lands that are for multiple uses. And so what the national monument protection did is it protected these lands 3 million acres from mining, drilling and extractive industries. That's it. They were always open to hunting, fishing, hiking, climbing, grazing, dark sky viewing. They're home to some of the most beautiful dark skies in the nation. And what Trump's executive orders did last week is it opened them to mining. That's it. That's the change.

[Jane Costen]

If you also think reducing two national monuments in size to help mining companies is stupid and evil, stick around. We'll get back to my conversation with Caroline Gleich in a moment. In the meantime, make sure to subscribe, leave a five star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads this episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. We talk about mental health more openly now, but asking for help can still feel hard, and BetterHelp's latest research confirms it. BetterHelp's 2026 State of Stigma report surveyed 2,000Americans and revealed that 85% of Americans believe getting support is wise, yet 74% say society discourages people from doing so. That's why I'm here to say therapy can be a great option. BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US and BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences and their 12 years of experience and industry leading Match fulfillment rate means they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recommendations. Don't let stigma stand in the way of support. Start therapy with BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com wade that's better. H e l p.com wad let's get back to my conversation with Carolyn Gleich. I used to live in Utah, in Salt Lake City, and I think that for many people they might not get what this loss of protections actually means, you know, because this isn't even the first time Trump has tried to do this. So I want to know first what happened the last time Trump did this during his first term? And what does this mean for these lands and for Utah?

[Caroline Gleich]

Well, I think one of the ways to view this is in 2016, five tribal nations came together and asked President Obama to designate the Bears Ears in particular as a national monument. Because Bears Ears is home to over 100,000 archaeological sites. Rock art there's this place called House on Fire, this old site where indigenous people lived. And in the morning when the sun hits the red rock, there's this old dwelling and the rock above lights up on fire. And it's hard to put into words just the depth of archaeological sites in Bears Ears. And so the tribes came and asked the federal government to protect this land. And that national monument proclamation had the tribes as co managers with the federal government, which was something unprecedented. Bears Ears is about tribal sovereignty and it's about Recognizing the people that have been stewards of the land since time immemorial. And in the first Trump administration, when he undid these monument protections, within 60 days, they were open to mining claims. And I think There were about 14 different claims on the land. And there's uranium and bears ears that companies and the extractive industry would like to go after. And in Grand Staircase Escalante, which is really significant for the scientific community because of its dinosaur fossils and other resources, there's a lot of minerals that they want to extract and coal. Utah has a long history of mining and drilling, where these companies do these boom and bust, and then they leave Utahns to pay the price of the cleanup.

[Jane Costen]

Yeah, that's the thing that gets me is that pretty much no one in Utah wanted this. Not Democrats, not Republicans, not Independents. Pretty much everybody I knew when I lived there. No matter of your politics, Everybody loves these natural resources. It's just a part of your daily life. So what have you been hearing from people about Trump's decision to shrink these national monuments?

[Caroline Gleich]

Yeah, well, on Monday, a thousand Utahns across the state came together for a monumental day of action. So people are taking to the streets to protest these unlawful actions by the Trump administration. And it was really led on by our federally elected officials. And so let's be clear that Mike Lee, John Curtis, Celeste Malloy, Blake Moore, Burgess Owens, Mike Kennedy, our Governor Cox, and Utah speaker of the House Mike Schultz. This was at the bequest of our elected officials, and they're not representing the will of the people. 71% of Utahns want these monuments protected. They want them intact. And that includes the vast majority of Republicans. And so this was really a blatant disregard for the will of the people. And people are really outraged. And there's a lot of concern, especially within the bigger backdrop of Utah's land management. Right now, we're seeing the disappearance of our Great Salt Lake, which is a environmental catastrophe, because this exposed lake bed is leaving behind toxic dust that threatens the air quality of 2 million people. We're already seeing these big dust events that are coating our cars, our produce, everything with this toxic dust that's remnants from the mining and extractive history. And in Moab, there's an EPA Superfund site that's still being cleaned up from their uranium boom of the 50s, and it's costing an estimated billion, and it won't be cleaned up until 2029. So Utahns are pretty sick and tired of seeing how extractive industries come in. They take what they want. It benefits A few people in Wall Street. Well, the average Utahn pays the price with our health and the cost to clean up the natural environment.

[Jane Costen]

I'm really glad you mentioned the Great Salt Lake. A couple of years ago I spoke with former Utah Senator Mitt Romney and he talked about how important it is to protect the Great Salt Lake, which has been shrin sinking for nearly 200 years. And so I'd love to hear just a little bit more about what the Great Salt Lake means. But also its shrinking is terrifying. Like genuinely a extinction level event for the people of the Great Salt Lake area.

[Caroline Gleich]

Yeah, I mean, it's really this experiment in public health on a broad scale that we're living in real time and children and the elderly and vulnerable populations are especially susceptible to the health impacts when we have these dust events. But it's also how we get the water that sustains the snow. So when the weather patterns come in, the storms pick up moisture over the Great Salt Lake and that's what causes us to have the greatest snow on Earth, some of the most abundant snowfall in the nation. And when we don't have the lake volume, we don't get the same kind of lake effect snow. So it further compounds the situation of drought and low water going back to the lake. So it's our water, it's our capital city's namesake. It's the whole identity of a people who came here and settled there. And it's a real tragedy for environment, for public health to see how far it's shrank and what the future could hold. And these are decisions that our elected officials are making that they could reverse. They could decide to prioritize getting the water to the lake and, and finding ways to subsidize the farmers that are currently diverting 71% of the water approximately it diverted from the Great Salt Lake goes to agriculture. And a lot of that is for alfalfa farming and a lot of that alfalfa is sold to China. So this is not a decision of industry versus public health. There's a way to do both and it involves funding our public land so people can enjoy them for for generations to come and getting enough water to our Great Salt Lake.

[Jane Costen]

Yeah, and it also comes at the same time as there's been this giant controversy which I don't think Governor Cox expected at all. So Shark Tank's Kevin O', Leary, Mr. Wonderful, allegedly he wants to build a data center in Box Elder county right next to the Great Salt Lake. And you've talked about this. Utahns are not, not happy about this. And the outcry has already forced o' Leary to reduce the size of his plans. It's gotten some Republicans basically pushed out of office. How is the fight against this data center project scrambling political allegiances in Utah? In kind of the same way as this bears year's decision.

[Caroline Gleich]

I think with both of these decisions we're seeing that our elected officials are prioritizing, strengthening the oligarchy. I mean, they're providing enrichment to a small select group of people at the expense of everyday Utahns and working families. And so with the shark tank project with Mr. I call him Mr. Terrible because from the minute that they came in and announced this project, they did it through this quasi governmental agency and it didn't go through a single public comment period or environmental review. And it has been one of the most unifying issues that I've seen. I'm working with Republicans, ranchers, farmers, people across the state who are who are outraged that our government rubber stamped and greenlit a project that is so destructive on such a large scale. The gas power plant that will power the data center is estimated to increase Utah's carbon emissions by 55%. In a state that struggles with some of the worst air quality in the

[Jane Costen]

nation, the inversions I can't never so bad.

[Caroline Gleich]

And scientists have shown during these periods of poor air quality a 16% increased rate of miscarriage on top of so many other harmful public health events. And you couldn't really pick a more perfect villain than Mr. Terrible. And he's been going on TV and he was accusing the resistance of being paid protesters. But now he's getting sued. Fox is getting sued. The state legislature and all of these agencies are all getting sued. And I'm confident that the will of the people will be greater than the people in power and that we will be able to get representation and accountability.

[Jane Costen]

Caroline, thank you so much for taking the time to join me.

[Caroline Gleich]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Jane Costen]

That was my conversation with Caroline Gleich, environmental activist and professional ski mountaineer. Before we go, if you haven't listened to keep it recently, you should. Every Wednesday, Louis Vertel and new co host Nina Parker will bring you an inside look at all of the pop culture drama. With the hottest takes you can handle. They'll guide you through the gorgeous wreckage of pop culture, unpacking the biggest stories in tv, film and entertainment news. This week they're talking about the Odyssey and Andy Serkis comments on the new Lord of the Rings movie casting. Watch now on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe. Leave a review Trump's World cup corruption won't be stopped by the end of the World Cup. And tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading, not just about how According to the New York Post, Trump wants FIFA President Gianni Infantino to be Secretary General of the United Nations. For some reason like me, what a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coston and fun. Not only did FIFA make up a peace prize for Trump, but the organization has been leasing an empty office space in Trump Tower, the rent for which goes to Trump's family. Weird. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. Our show is produced by Caitlin Plummer, Emily Fox, Erica Morrison and Adrienne Hill. Our team includes Haley Jones, Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Joseph Dutra, Johanna Case and Desmond Taylor. Our music is by Kyle Murdoch and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.