Inside Utah Politics with Lindsay Aerts

Where the Prop 4 fight goes next, D.O.J pressures election officials

Utah lawmakers will not pursue another version of Amendment D, the voided proposal to rein in the power of voter-led initiatives to change state law. It's the latest development on the many fronts of the war over Prop 4 and redistricting in Utah. Analysts Erin Rider and Adam Gardiner join Lindsay to explain why lawmakers are taking a beat here, and what this means for their overall strategy. Plus, the Department of Justice sends threatening letters to election officials across the country, floating funding cuts and possible prosecution if they don't fall in line with federal demands. It comes in the midst of a long-running dispute between the feds and Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson over her refusal to turn over private voter data for a federal probe.

Trump wades into World Cup politics, state weighs efficacy of firework ban

The USMNT is out of the World Cup after their loss to Belgium, but it's the action off the field driving conversation. President Donald Trump made a personal call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the red card against star US striker Folarin Balogun. Our panelists Taylor Morgan and Leah Murray join Lindsay to weigh whether this was an appropriate use of presidential power, and whether it does the game more harm or good in America. Plus, the 4th of July weekend has come and gone without another major wildfire. What does that mean for the state's expanded prohibition on personal fireworks, and could we see a ban for Pioneer Day?

Supreme Court ends 2025 term with a bang, GOP hoping to hold down CD-1 in November

The United State Supreme Court has gone home for the summer, but not before dropping some landmark decisions. The high court handed President Trump a loss on one of his marquee policy proposals, denying him the ability to abolish birthright citizenship via executive order. On the same day we saw a win for conservative-governed states like Utah, with the court upholding laws banning transgender girls from women's sports teams. Longtime Utah Supreme Court Justice Christine Durham joins Lindsay Aerts to unpack how the justices made these big decisions. Plus, Utah Republicans are facing a new challenge in CD-1: running as underdogs. Their nominee, Riley Owen, joins the show to explain how he hopes to edge out former Congressman Ben McAdams in a district that analysts expect to heavily favor Democrats.

U.S. Supreme Court wraps term with a set of landmark rulings

The United States Supreme Court has dropped their final rulings from the October 2025 term. It was a run of cases for the history books, between a pair of cases upholding bans on transgender girls in women's sports, a major loss for the president on birthright citizenship, and a potential game changer for campaign finance. Panelists Leah Murray and Sarah Reale join Lindsay to discuss the implications of those decisions, and to evaluate the state of the highest court in the land.

Election night winners eye November, results continue to trickle in

Lindsay Aerts unpacks all the big wins and losses on primary election night. Former congressman Ben McAdams details his plans to punch his ticket back to Washington in a new district where there's plenty of unknown. Plus, we sit down with the candidate behind the update rocking Utah politics. Stephanie Hollist, a political newcomer, managed to unseat Senate President J. Stuart Adams in the State Senate District 7 GOP primary. Hear how she got it and what her focus will be heading into a general election.