Deseret News

Utah GOP Rep. Mike Kennedy, in an interview with the Deseret News, called Trump's second term historic but gave mixed marks on specific policies. He credited the administration with sharply reducing border crossings but said the effects of mass deportations have been "good and bad," backing removal of convicted criminals while urging case-by-case review for others.

On election security, Kennedy echoed concerns about noncitizen voting ahead of the midterms, citing a New Jersey registration error that added thousands of noncitizens to voter rolls. He supported the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, though it has stalled in the Senate.

Kennedy also sided with Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson in her standoff with the Department of Justice, which sued Utah after Henderson declined to turn over voters' Social Security numbers and birth dates. Kennedy said he wants voter records kept confidential and expects the dispute to be resolved in court. The remarks came after Kennedy hosted a meeting of top Utah officials on energy, water, and data center policy.

Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson has drawn support from Gov. Spencer Cox and former Gov. Gary Herbert after refusing a Justice Department request for the state's full voter registration list, including sensitive personal data. The DOJ's Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into Henderson over the refusal, arguing it violates federal law. Henderson's office maintains that neither state nor federal law entitles the DOJ to collect private information on citizens, and Cox has publicly criticized the investigation as improper.

The dispute comes as the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a Trump administration plan requiring the Postal Service to screen mailed ballots against a federal citizen registry before delivery, upholding an injunction against the rule. Henderson said the ruling ensures Utah's 2026 election will proceed normally. Utah relies heavily on vote-by-mail, which state officials credit with boosting turnout from among the lowest in the nation to among the highest since 2018. A recent state audit found only a small number of confirmed noncitizens among Utah's more than 2 million registered voters, underscoring officials' argument that state-run election oversight is working effectively.

At Utah's state Capitol Rotunda, Gov. Spencer Cox marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks by questioning whether the country could still unite as it did in 2001, citing rising distrust, polarization and conspiracism from voices across the political spectrum. Coming a day after the one-year mark of Charlie Kirk's assassination at Utah Valley University, Cox said "Never Forget" must mean more than memory alone and called for renewing the shared purpose that followed 9/11.

Survivors and family members also spoke. Daniel Rosen, who escaped the World Trade Center that morning, recounted the chaos and warned that online misinformation increasingly distorts what actually happened. Norm Wahlstrom, who lost his mother and sister aboard Flight 11, urged Americans to honor the day through service rather than division. Retired Gen. Brian Tarbet said the broader ideological struggle against terrorism remains unresolved. Cox reiterated a call, made with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, for Americans to commit to acts of kindness, arguing political disagreement should not translate into treating opponents as enemies.