Utah GOP Sen. John Curtis vows to be independent voice as he breaks with Trump over key issues

By Alison Main, CNN

(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.

“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.”

“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 said.

Curtis isn’t concerned about blowback from base voters either, not hesitating to tout his double-digit lead over his three rivals in Utah’s 2024 GOP Senate primary, including Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who had the backing of Trump and the state Republican Party.

“People in Utah want the president to be successful,” he said of the state that elected Trump to a 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, adding, “from time to time, not often, that means we’re going to disagree.”

In his maiden Senate floor speech this month, Curtis emphasized the merits 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 said.

The freshman senator said he’s already exhibited some of that “wild” honesty with the Trump administration, telling the president’s Cabinet nominees, all of whom he ultimately voted for, “if we’re not careful, we’ll destroy small businesses with tariffs.”

As Trump and his top advisers cobble together 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 world stage, but warned of the impacts at home.

“We have to be very, very careful with our small businesses,” he said.

Other areas where Curtis disagrees with Trump and his closest allies range from environmental issues to the value of highlighting diversity to the war in Ukraine.

“I think I’ve been very clear on where I feel about Ukraine and President Zelensky,” he said, adding “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is not our friend.”

As Trump tests the limits of executive power, Curtis said he thinks the president should consult with Congress first before potentially suspending habeas corpus.

He insisted that he would consider the move, which CNN has reported Trump has recently talked about, “incredibly carefully.”

“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 said.

On another headline-making issue – Trump’s plans for his administration to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family to use 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,” he said.

Though Curtis believes Congress has “abdicated” some responsibilities, including managing the federal deficit, he’s wary of the dramatic spending slashes shepherded by Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

“We need to cut,” he acknowledged, later adding, “that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have compassion. That doesn’t mean when we’re letting a federal employee go that we shouldn’t be thoughtful about perhaps that’s the worst day of their life.”

He also recommended a compassionate approach to his colleagues on Capitol Hill as they weigh how to advance Trump’s sweeping tax promises 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 said.

Curtis said he thinks GOP lawmakers will end up in a “good place” with Trump’s agenda, but he’s among the chorus of Republicans calling for changes, urging caution about how the bill rolls back 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 youngest congressional district in the country, said he knows how much protecting the environment matters to young voters, implying that should be an asset to his party, not a hindrance.

“Republicans are far better on this than we’re willing to admit,” he said.

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