Fox News issued a rare on-air apology over the weekend after businessman and television personality Kevin O’Leary acknowledged he had no evidence to support claims that opponents of his proposed Utah data center project were tied to China or the Chinese Communist Party.
The apology was read by anchors across multiple Fox News programs and addressed comments O’Leary made during a May 24 appearance on Mornings with Maria Bartiromo.
“Kevin O’Leary appeared as a guest on the show on May 24 and discussed the ongoing controversy surrounding his planned data center project in Utah,” the statement read. “He made certain claims relating to the opponents of his project. Mr. O’Leary has now corrected the record and explained he has ‘no evidence’ that the Alliance for a Better Utah, Josh Kantor or Taylor Knuth are funded by China or the Chinese Communist Party.”
The network went further, saying it had found no evidence supporting the allegation.
“Fox News Media is likewise aware of no evidence that they are funded by, or acting in the direction of, or in coordination with Chinese interests in opposing Mr. O’Leary’s project,” the statement continued.
“Fox News Media also apologizes for the error.”
The on-air correction followed a public statement from O’Leary, who retracted the allegations in a social media post last week.
“Recently I appeared on various news programs and would like to clarify that I have no evidence that Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, Gabrielle Finlayson, Taylor Knuth or Josh Kanter are funded by China or the Chinese Communist Party,” O’Leary wrote.
According to Mediaite, O’Leary made the original comments while discussing his proposed artificial intelligence data center development in Utah, arguing that China has an interest in slowing American infrastructure projects.
“China is an adversary,” O’Leary said during the interview. “They want us to stop building our electrical grid.”
The proposed development has become a closely watched technology infrastructure project as debates rise about the impacts data centers have on quality of life and the environment. O’Leary is backing plans for a roughly 40,000-acre artificial intelligence data center campus in Utah. Supporters say it could strengthen America’s AI capabilities and expand computing capacity.
However, the proposal has generated significant opposition from local residents, environmental groups, and community organizations concerned about its size, electricity demands, water usage, and more.
The controversy highlights the contention surrounding AI infrastructure as technology companies race to build the massive computing facilities needed to support artificial intelligence. Across the country, proposed data centers have faced local resistance even as proponents argue they are critical to maintaining America’s technological competitiveness.
O’Leary, best known for his role on Shark Tank, has become an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump in recent years and has frequently argued that the United States must rapidly expand its energy production and computing infrastructure to compete with China in artificial intelligence.
Fox News’ public correction represents an unusual step for the network, as on-air apologies of this nature are relatively uncommon and typically follow legal disputes or formal retractions involving factual claims.
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