For context, the monument he’s referring to is the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah, designated in 1996. This was a controversial move at the time, because Clinton did it under the Antiquities Act, which allows presidents to unilaterally protect significant public lands by declaring them National Monuments.

Many local Utah leaders and residents opposed the designation because they felt it restricted economic activities like mining and ranching. The area was rich in coal reserves, and local politicians saw the monument designation as a federal overreach. On the other hand, environmental groups and many in the national spotlight, including celebrities and political elites, supported the move, praising it as a necessary step to preserve the natural beauty and ecological significance of the area.

The monument was later reduced in size by 900,000 acres (about half) by President Donald Trump in 2017 along with the Bears’ Ears monument, citing similar concerns about local economic impacts and federal overreach. However, in 2021, President Joe Biden restored the monument to its original size, once again sparking debate about the balance between conservation and local economic interests.

“During his speech Monday, Trump said the national monument designations also “prevent Native Americans from having their rightful voice over the sacred land where they practice their most important ancestral and religious traditions.”

Many tribal leaders and activists are likely to deeply object to this assessment. For months, they have passionately campaigned to preserve the national monument designations — and now, upon hearing Trump’s proclamations, they are promising to sue.

It’s no surprise that Trump lied about how the people felt about this decision.

Full contextual analysis of Section 3.7: Department of the Interior here.