Full Breakdown
Fox News Apologizes for O'Leary's China Claim
6/30/2026, 8:00:49 PM
Fox Apology Over China Claims
On May 24, 2026, Kevin O’Leary appeared on Fox Business’s “Mornings with Maria Bartiromo” and asserted that opponents of his Utah data-center project were proxies for the Chinese government. Fox News later read on-air apologies on several shows, stating no evidence links opponents to China.
Project Background and Opposition
O’Leary Ventures’ “Stratos Project” proposes a 40,000-acre data-center campus in Utah. The Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, and individuals Josh Kanter, Taylor Knuth, Gabrielle Finlayson have opposed the plan, citing water-use, electricity demand, and ecological impact. A Gallup poll shows 71 % of Americans oppose a data center in their area. After backlash, O’Leary agreed to halve the site’s footprint.
Official Statements
Fox News said O’Leary “has now corrected the record and explained he has ‘no evidence’ that the Alliance for a Better Utah, Josh Kanter or Taylor Knuth are funded by China or the Chinese Communist Party.” The network added it is “aware of no evidence that they are funded by, acting at the direction of, or coordinating with Chinese interests.” O’Leary posted a social-media clarification. In June *Business Insider* interview, he said expanding U.S. data-center capacity is vital for maintaining a technological edge.
Criticism
Political strategists Gabi Finlayson and Jackie Morgan called O’Leary’s claim “crazy and outlandish.” Taylor Knuth, former executive director of the Alliance for a Better Utah, responded “Oh, that’s nice,” and said he was confused by the allegation. Environmental groups raise concerns about resource demands.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Who would want us to stop building our electrical grid? Who would want to stop us from having the computing capacity to develop AI? Which adversary would want that? There’s only one. It’s China,” — Kevin O’Leary, Fox Business appearance
- “Fox News Media is likewise aware of no evidence that they are funded by, acting at the direction of, or coordinating with Chinese interests in opposing Kevin O’Leary’s project.” — Fox News Media statement
- “What exactly prompted O’Leary and Fox to embark on this unusual apology tour remains unclear, but it’s a safe bet that a legal threat was involved,” — Oliver Darcy, *Status*
- “We're in a global competition, an economic competition, a military competition, and certainly a technological competition,” — Kevin O’Leary, *Business Insider* interview
Conflicting Reports
*The Daily Beast* and *Status* suggest a possible legal threat motivated the apology, while Fox News offers no explicit rationale. No independent evidence has been presented to substantiate any Chinese funding of the opposition groups.
What’s Next
O’Leary has pledged to reduce the project’s size by 50 % and continues to promote data-center expansion. Fox News has reiterated its apology across its platforms. The Utah campus remains under review by local officials and environmental regulators, with potential state legislation pending.
