Trump Praises Sen. Hatch, Calls Bears Ears 'Federal Land Grab'

WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump spoke in Salt Lake City, Utah, Monday to announce he's scaling back two sprawling national monuments. The move is welcomed by the state's top Republicans but opposed by Native American tribes and environmental groups. You can watch the replay of speech below.

Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee and Utah accompanied Trump to Salt Lake City along with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

"This is a sad day for indigenous people and for America," said Navajo Nation Vice President Johnathan Nez in a statement. "However, we are resilient and refuse to allow President Trump's unlawful decision to discourage us. We will continue to fight in honor of our ancestral warriors who fought for our way of life, for our culture and for out land too."

Roughly 2,000 demonstrators are lined up near the Utah State Capitol protesting President Donald Trump's announcement reducing two national monuments in Utah.

The vocal group gathered in wintry weather Monday morning held signs like "Keep your tiny hands off our public lands" and chanted "Lock him up."

Navajo protester and University of Utah student Shaniah Chee says wood-gathering in the area is essential to her tribe's traditions. She calls the reduction a major loss.

A handful of counter-protesters also gathered to support Trump and the decision to scale back the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalate national monuments. Jason Lutu of Lehi works in construction and says he's in favor of potential drilling or mining that could create jobs.

Ahead of the speech, Trump visited Welfare Square, a complex in Salt Lake City run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that provides aid to the poor.

Trump spoke briefly and publicly praised the church for the way it takes care of people.

The Republican president traveled west to announce his intention to shrink the Bears Ears and the Grand-Staircase Escalante national monuments spanning millions of acres in Utah. He has condemned the act of creating the Utah monuments as a "massive federal land grab."

Trump says he's encouraging 83-year-old Republican Hatch to run for re-election. When Trump was asked if he wants Hatch to run for an eighth term in 2018, he replied, "Yes."

Hatch has not publicly declared his plans. Reports suggest that Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee, would run for Hatch's seat should he decline to campaign again.

Watch the speech live on below.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images