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, believes it is still possible – and necessary – to be an independent thinker, and he is not afraid to disagree with the president on 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 during “Inside Politics Sunday.” Curtis praised Trump on some issues, including border policy, but cautioned about the potential negative effects of tariffs on small businesses and expressed concern about Trump’s plan to accept a Qatari jet.
Curtis also believes the president would need to appear before Congress if the administration wishes 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 responded. He was asking, “you wouldn’t want a board of directors to rubber stamp the president of a company, right?”
The senator’s predecessor came under fire from Trump after voting to convict the president in both of his impeachment trials.
But Curtis, who did not support Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, is unconcerned about the consequences of defying his party’s leader, who has repeatedly threatened Republican critics with primaries.
“That’s a stereotype,” Curtis said, adding that he believes Trump has “respect” for people who confront him in “the right way, at the right time, and in the right place.”
“If I send out a mean, nasty tweet, of course, that’s not received well, but if I have a thoughtful conversation with the administration about how I see something, I hope and trust that he actually values that as somebody who wants to help him,” he told reporters.
Curtis is unconcerned about backlash from base voters, boasting a double-digit lead over his three opponents in Utah’s 2024 GOP Senate primary, including Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who has the support of Trump and the state Republican Party.
“People in Utah want the president to be successful,” he said of the state that voted for Trump’s second term by more than 20 points.
“I want the president to be wildly successful, and so it becomes a question of how do we help him be successful,” he said. He continued: “from time to time, not often, that means we’re going to disagree.”
In his first Senate floor speech this month, Curtis emphasized the importance of being “wildly honest” in Washington.
“The odds of Congress delivering real results for the American people go up dramatically when we start telling each other the truth, not just behind closed doors, but out in the open,” he told reporters.
The freshman senator stated that he has already demonstrated some of that “wild” honesty with the Trump administration, telling the president’s Cabinet nominees, all of whom he ultimately voted for, that “if we’re not careful, we’ll destroy small businesses with tariffs.”
As Trump and his top advisers work out trade deals in the wake of global backlash to his sweeping tariff policies, Curtis said he understands the president is playing “the long game” on the global stage, but he cautioned about the domestic consequences.
“We have to be very, very careful with our small businesses,” he told me.
Curtis disagrees with Trump and his closest allies on a variety of issues, including environmental concerns, the importance of highlighting diversity, and the conflict in Ukraine.
“I think I’ve been very clear on where I feel about Ukraine and President Zelensky,” he said. He continued: “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is not our friend.”
As Trump tests the limits of executive power, Curtis believes the president should consult with Congress before potentially suspending habeas corpus.
He insisted that he would think “extremely carefully” about the move, which CNN reported Trump had recently discussed.
“Make a case to me, but I will tell you, as I judge that case, I’m going to be thinking in my mind: what if this is a Democrat president coming after something that I think is important,” he told reporters.
On another hotly debated issue, Trump’s plans to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family to serve as Air Force One, Curtis would only speak for himself.
“I will just tell you, in my experience as an elected official, I have found it is best to avoid even the very appearance of being in a bad place,” according to him.
Curtis believes Congress has “abdicated” some responsibilities, including managing the federal deficit, but he is concerned about the dramatic spending cuts spearheaded by Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
“We need to cut,” he admitted, later adding, “but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be compassionate.” That is not to say that when we let go of a federal employee, we should not consider whether it is the worst day of their life.
He also advised his colleagues on Capitol Hill to take a compassionate approach as they consider how to carry out Trump’s ambitious tax cuts without ballooning the deficit.
“We could do this without taking away critical benefits for those most in need, but if we don’t make hard decisions, we’re going to be making more drastic cuts in the future, and I don’t want to do that,” he told reporters.
Curtis believes GOP lawmakers will be in a “good place” with Trump’s agenda, but he is one of many Republicans calling for changes, urging caution about how the bill repeals Biden-era clean energy tax credits.
“The honesty is we need clean, affordable, reliable energy,” he said, explaining that some provisions of former President Joe Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act are “actually Republican priorities” when it comes to harnessing new forms of energy.
The Utah Republican, who previously represented the country’s youngest congressional district, said he understands how important protecting the environment is to young voters, implying that it should be an asset to his party rather than a liability.
“Republicans are far better on this than we’re willing to admit,” said the senator.
