Senator at center of Utah AI data center debate gets physical, slaps phone out of reporter’s hand — reporter covering cases of harassment against his business

Utah Sen. Jerry Stevenson confronted an ABC4 reporter at his business and knocked the reporter’s phone away during a tense exchange.

The crew was covering alleged harassment tied to backlash over Stevenson’s support for a 9-GW AI data center project.

Police were called, Stevenson later apologized, and the reporting team received a yearlong trespassing notice.

The incident underscores growing public anger and scrutiny around Utah’s data center approvals and lawmakers involved in them.