As a member of the House, John Curtis, R-Utah, demonstrated a willingness to stand up to his own party.
Today, the senator-elect, who is expected to fill the seat vacated by Mitt Romney, said he’s not afraid to disagree with President-elect Donald Trump if he needs to.
In an exclusive interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Curtis told co-anchor Jonathan Karl that he wants Trump to succeed “tremendously” and said he supports his desire to fight inflation and the economy . But he also made clear that there would be times when he disagreed with Trump’s approach.
“I think it is very important for me and for my voters that at these times [of disagreement]that I feel comfortable speaking,” Curtis said. “I have my own mind and I’m not a rubber stamp. My stamp is the stamp of the State of Utah.
Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah, on “This Week.”
ABC News
Curtis and Karl spoke Thursday as Republicans worked to appease Trump’s last-minute demands for the debt ceiling as Congress scrambled to pass a funding bill to avert a shutdown of the government.
The senator-elect highlighted this topic as an area where he and Trump disagree.
“A lot of people ask me when I say I will sometimes have disagreements with the president…And I’ll just tell you that my previous service with him at the same time, that’s an expense,” Curtis said. “We need to do much more to control our spending. And it’s a big problem in Utah. This is what my constituents expect of me.
As the Senate prepares to vote on Trump’s nominees, Curtis indicated he is taking a deliberative approach to the process.
“I think people forget the advice and consent part,” Curtis said. “I cannot advise the president if I have not spoken in detail with these people, if I have not investigated everything about them, if I have not learned their strengths and their weaknesses.”
Curtis met with some of Trump’s most controversial picks, including Pete Hegseth, his pick for the Defense Department, and Kash Patel, his pick to lead the FBI. He did not reveal how he plans to vote on their nominations, but said he is closely monitoring the process.
“I know that as a politician I shouldn’t take everything that’s in the papers personally,” Curtis said, referring to the reporting on Hegseth. “And I want to learn myself who he is and what kind of work he will do.”
Some Republican senators have faced a pressure campaign from Trump’s allies and supporters on social media to try to force them to vote for Trump’s nominees.
Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah, on “This Week.”
ABC News
Curtis said he is not afraid of being criticized in carrying out his responsibilities as a senator.
“Anyone who wants to give me heat for doing my job, let me do it,” Curtis said. “It’s my job. It is my constitutional responsibility.
In an era where labels like “MAGA Republican,” “McCain Republican” or “Romney Republican” abound, the senator-elect says the best way to describe him is “normal.”
“I like that label,” Curtis said. “The problem is with labels, it’s kind of a shortcut to stereotyping someone, right? …Trying to say that someone is moderate or that something is just not appropriate. And I really like aligning with Utah’s core values. And the best way to describe them is our pioneering values.
The senator-elect said he has yet to speak to Trump, who has endorsed one of his primary opponents, since his victory in November. When asked what he would say to him, Curtis said he wants the president-elect to succeed, but not without resistance when necessary.
“Mr. President, from time to time I’m going to disagree with you. And it will be respectful,” Curtis told Trump. “And I think if I disagree with you, that will be helpful. And I hope you will listen to me.
