Inside Trump’s fundraiser in Utah — and how Gov. Cox was involved

Former President Donald Trump touted his record on foreign policy at a fundraiser Saturday in Utah to an audience that the organizers said exceeded their expectations. Trump was introduced by former critic Gov. Spencer Cox, who one source said spoke about the need for unity in the Republican Party.
Cox, who endorsed Trump recently after not voting for him in 2016 or 2020, introduced the former president to Utah donors. Organizers said they raised around $5 million for the Trump campaign. The Trump campaign is also looking to organize a Latter-day Saints for Trump group, one of Trump’s supporters said.
“It was packed,” Doug Quezada, one of the hosts, said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was up close to 1,000.” Quezada said they ended up exceeding what they thought would be the upper ceiling for attendance.
The fundraiser took place at a private hangar at the Salt Lake City airport. Two Utahns — Marlon Bateman, a State Department official during the Trump administration, and George Glass, former U.S. ambassador to Portugal, organized the event.
The Deseret News spoke to attendees, but did not attend the fundraiser as media were only allowed in if they purchased a ticket. Tickets for the fundraiser started at $1,000 each.
Over one hundred Trump supporters clung to a nearby fence outside the airport to catch a glimpse of Trump’s plane touching down.
Quezada said getting Cox on the stage started back when Bateman thought it would be a good idea to bring Cox and Trump together with the Gold Star families at Arlington Cemetery a few weeks ago, a visit that stirred up some controversy.
At the end of the Arlington visit, Quezada said Trump’s parting words were, “I like the governor, he’s on my A-list now.” And at the fundraiser on Saturday evening, Quezada said, “It was reciprocated when Governor Cox took the stage and just spoke about the need for unity, the need to get behind this man who has literally taken shots for us, to uphold and defend our Constitution and promote the American way of life.”
Two months ago, Utah GOP chair Rob Axson said he would have been surprised by Cox supporting Trump, but now he thinks it is clear Cox supports Trump.
Cox “talked about the importance of having that strong working relationship for the state of Utah” with Trump, said Axson, adding he loved and appreciated it.
Utah state House Speaker Mike Schultz said Trump spoke about the Israel-Hamas war along with Iran’s aggression and the war between Ukraine and Russia.
“He spent a lot of time talking about the need to do foreign policy different than the way we’ve done it over the last several years and the consequences if we don’t,” said Schultz.
In addition to his comments on foreign policy, Schultz said Trump spoke about energy policy and how inflation would go down if there was more development of energy resources.
What Schultz said he saw was a changed man.
“He’s different today in a good way,” he said, adding he has known the Trump family since 2016, though he is not close friends with the former president himself. “He stays more on message. He talks more about issues and policy, and less throws digs and jabs.”
That’s not to say Trump’s personality has totally changed, Schultz said. But he said one of his main takeaways was Trump speaking more about the good qualities of people rather than the negative ones.
Describing him as “very complimentary” of Latter-day Saints and the values espoused in Latter-day Saint communities, Schultz said he heard respect from Trump for Utah and the values the state espouses.
Quezada said Trump asked him tonight to work closely with Bateman to head up a coalition of Latter-day Saints for Trump. He said he thinks Cox’s endorsement and support for Trump will help consolidate voters because Cox has “mass appeal to the moderate contingency of the party that can bring in those swing votes in the swing states.”
Referencing Axson’s efforts to use Utah resources and campaign volunteers to influence neighboring swing states like Nevada and Utah, Quezada said he is excited to see that effort and a Latter-day Saints for Trump coalition hit the ground running.
Axson said Trump spoke about how Arizona Latter-day Saints could impact which presidential candidate takes that battleground state. Hundreds of volunteers from the Utah Republican Party will go down to Arizona on two different trips and then Nevada on another trip, Axson said.
“The main takeaway for me from this event was how expressive President Trump was in regards to his love for Utah, how much he enjoyed being back, and how much he understands the power and influence of the LDS (Latter-day Saint) community here in our region,” said Quezada.
A good amount of the speaking Trump did was not to the whole crowd itself, said Schultz, but to individuals who attended the fundraiser. Other fundraiser attendees included radio host Glenn Beck, Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, Axson, Papa John’s founder John Schnatter, along with Utah businessman and fundraiser co-hosts Scott Keller and John Miller.
Schultz said the family of Utahn Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, who was one of the 13 service members who died during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, also attended the fundraiser.
“We had folks from all walks of life, from all corners of the state,” said Axson. Fundraisers attract people with means, he said, but he saw people there who did not have as much financial resources as others. “That’s what I love seeing, broad support and a broad commitment from people to be part of something better for our state and for country.”
The former president spent just under three hours in the Beehive State before jetting off to crisscross the country with less than two months remaining before the election.
But, for Schultz, having Trump come to the state was something that meant a lot.
“President Trump didn’t have to come to Utah, and everybody could say, well, he came for a fundraiser,” he said. “Let’s be honest. He raised a little bit of money, but he can raise money elsewhere.” The visit caused Schultz to reflect on his interactions with the federal government and how he felt like the Trump administration handled it better than President Joe Biden’s administration.
The fundraiser had been postponed twice before it happened, and Axson said he thinks Trump showing up on Saturday showed how Utah is a priority for him. Along with others, Axson said he has invited and encouraged Trump to come to the Beehive State, even though it is not a battleground state.
As for why Trump made the brief visit to Utah, Quezada said, “He understands that Utah is the last conservative stronghold and bastion west of the Rockies.”