The intrigue: Host Jon Stewart — who frequently platforms guests that don't neatly fit under ideological labels — pushed back against Cox's blanket condemnation of "contempt."
"Is the idea that we just acquiesce to the contemptible?" Stewart asked, naming U.S. Sen. Mike Lee as an example in light of Lee's mockery of last year's deadly political shootings in Minnesota.
What they're saying: Cox said he's not arguing "that we should compromise on our principles," but instead should engage face to face rather than dismissing foes as a lost cause.
He pointed to the 2015 "Utah Compromise" where lawmakers drafted some legal protections for LGBTQ+ Utahns with religious exceptions.
The other side: "There's a power disparity in that equation," Stewart replied. "You're asking a community of people whose humanity has not been recognized as total to accept that … 'We can't fire you, but we will still view you as aberrant and we will enshrine that in the law.'"
Friction point: Cox also noted Trump's promise of $1 billion in federal funds toward Great Salt Lake rehabilitation as an example of Republican support for a traditionally liberal cause.
"And what are you going to have to name the lake?" Stewart asked.
"I told the president we'd name it whatever he wants if he helps us save the lake," Cox said.
The latest: A spokesperson told ABC 4 that Cox made the comment in jest.
