As a member of the House of Representatives, John Curtis, R-Utah, showed a willingness to fight for his own party.
Now the senator-elect, who is set to take the seat being vacated by the retiring Mitt Romney, said he is not afraid to disagree with President 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 be “wildly successful” and said he supports his desire to address inflation and the economy. But he also made it clear that there will be times when he disagrees with Trump’s approach.
“I think it’s very important for me and my constituents that – that in these moments [of disagreement]that I feel comfortable speaking up,” Curtis said. “I have a mind of my own 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 scrambled to meet last-minute demands from Trump to deal with the debt limit while Congress worked to pass a funding bill to avert a government shutdown.
The senator-elect highlighted this issue as an area where he and Trump do not see eye to eye.
“A lot of people ask me when I say that sometimes I’ll have my differences with the president … And I’ll just tell you from my past service with him at the same time, it’s expenses,” Curtis said. “We must do much more to rein in our expenses. And that’s a big deal in Utah. That is what my constituents expect me to do.”
As the Senate prepares to vote on Trump’s nominees, Curtis signaled that he is taking a deliberative approach to the process.
“I think people forget the counseling part of counseling and consent,” Curtis said. “I can’t advise the president if I haven’t talked thoroughly with these people, if I haven’t researched everything about them, if I haven’t learned their strengths and their weaknesses.”
Curtis has faced some of Trump’s more controversial picks, including Pete Hegseth, his pick for the Department of Defense, and Kash Patel, his pick to head the FBI. He won’t reveal how he plans to vote on their nominations, but said he’s watching the process closely.
“I know as a politician that everything that’s in the paper, I shouldn’t take it personally,” Curtis said, referring to news reports surrounding Hegseth. “And I will learn for myself who he is and what kind of job 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 nominee.
Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah, on “This Week.”
ABC News
Curtis said he is not afraid to make mistakes to carry out his responsibilities as a senator.
“Anyone who wants to give me heat for doing my job, bring it on,” Curtis said. “This is my job. It’s my constitutional responsibility.”
At a time when labels like “MAGA Republican” or “McCain Republican” or “Romney Republican” abound, the senator-elect says the best way to describe him is “normal.”
“I like that brand,” Curtis said. “The problem is with labels, it’s kind of a shortcut to stereotype somebody, right? … Trying to say somebody’s moderate or something just doesn’t fit. And I really like to align with the core values of Utah. And the best way to describe them is our pioneering values.”
The senator-elect said he has yet to speak to Trump, who endorsed one of his primary opponents, since he won in November. Asked what he would say to him, Curtis said he wants the president-elect to be successful, but not without setbacks when necessary.
“Mr. President, from time to time I will disagree with you. And it will be respectful,” Curtis said he would tell Trump. “And I think when I disagree with you, it will be useful. And I hope you will listen to me.”
