Utah GOP Sen. John Curtis vows to be independent voice as he breaks with Trump over key issues
CNN
In a Republican Party dominated by President Donald Trump, Sen. John Curtis, who was elected to fill retired Sen. Mitt Romney’s seat last year, thinks it’s still possible – and essential – to be an independent thinker, and isn’t afraid to break with the president over key issues.
In a Republican Party dominated by President Donald Trump, Sen. John Curtis, who was elected to fill retired Sen. Mitt Romney’s seat last year, thinks it’s still possible – and essential – to be an independent thinker, and isn’t afraid to break with the president over key issues. “I really think the best way to make President Trump successful is to let him know when we disagree,” the Utah Republican told CNN’s Manu Raju on “Inside Politics Sunday.” In a wide-ranging interview, Curtis praised Trump on certain issues, including border policy, but warned about the potential negative impacts of tariffs on small businesses and expressed concern over Trump’s plan to accept a Qatari jet. Curtis also said he believes the president would need to come to Congress if the administration wants to suspend habeas corpus, a legal procedure that allows people to challenge their detention in court. “We serve the president best when we act and function more like a board of directors,” he said, asking, “you wouldn’t want a board of directors to rubber stamp the president of a company, right?” The senator’s predecessor found himself a target of scathing attacks from Trump after voting to convict the president in both of his impeachment trials. But Curtis, who didn’t back Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, isn’t worried about the consequences of breaking with the leader of his party, who has often threatened Republican critics with primaries. “That’s a stereotype,” Curtis said, explaining that he believes Trump actually has “respect” for people who confront him in “the right way, the right time, the right place.”
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