Maria Bartiromo Apologizes On Air After Guest Made Baseless Claims About Data Center Protesters
Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo issued an on-air apology after her guest, investor Kevin O'Leary, baselessly claimed that local Utah data center protesters were funded by China. O'Leary had previously made these claims regarding opposition to his data center project in Utah, but later retracted them. The incident highlights broader discussions among government officials and organizations about alleged foreign interference in US data center development.
Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo issued an on-air correction on June 26 following unsubstantiated claims made by her guest, "Shark Tank" panelist Kevin O'Leary, regarding opposition to his Utah data center project.
In May, O'Leary had alleged that local Utah protesters and grassroots organizations were receiving funding from the Chinese government to hinder America's AI infrastructure development. He later retracted these claims on June 25 via social media, specifically clarifying that he had no evidence that groups such as Alliance for a Better Utah and Elevate Strategies, or individuals like Gabrielle Finlayson, Taylor Knuth, and Josh Kanter, were funded by China or the Chinese Communist Party.
Bartiromo then issued an apology on her show, stating that Fox News Media was also unaware of any evidence supporting the claims and apologized for the error. This incident occurs amid broader assertions from other organizations, including the Bitcoin Policy Institute and the American Energy Institute, and political figures like Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, who have echoed similar concerns about foreign influence in efforts to block data center construction in the U.S. House Republicans also claimed in June to have "strong evidence" of Chinese funding for data center opposition, urging further investigation by the Trump administration.