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Utah’s Senator-elect John Curtis is already generating controversy among conservative circles following comments that appear to distance himself from former President Donald Trump’s leadership.
During a conversation with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, Curtis emphasized his intention to maintain independence rather than automatically supporting Trump’s agenda, prompting immediate pushback from MAGA supporters.
Utah Senator-elect John Curtis downplays Trump’s historic mandate, saying “I got more votes than him in Utah. Does that give me a mandate?”
This is the same guy who refused to support Matt Gaetz.
Mitt Romney’s replacement isn’t looking much better. pic.twitter.com/f1Y8yD5WET
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) December 22, 2024
The senator-elect’s stance mirrors that of his predecessor Mitt Romney, who frequently faced criticism for opposing Trump. While Curtis praised Romney’s independent approach, many conservatives view this type of “authenticity” as potentially divisive for the party.
“Well, listen, Mitt Romney, no matter what you say about him, everybody says he’s true to who he is. That’s such a great attribute. I wish we could say that about all of us. If they say that about me when I’m done, I’ll be very happy,” Curtis told Karl.
When asked about following Romney’s independent approach, Curtis responded: “It’s very important to me that President Trump is successful. I want to see him wildly successful. I’ll be supportive of him when he’s talking about inflation and the economy and everything like that. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be moments when I disagree with him. I think it’s very important to me and my constituents that at those moments that I feel comfortable speaking up.”
The senator-elect highlighted his electoral success without Trump’s backing, indirectly challenging the former president’s influence in Republican politics.
“So I’ll just brag for a minute. I won in a four-way primary with almost 50% as the non-Trump-endorsed candidate,” Curtis stated.
When Karl pressed him about Trump’s influence in Republican primaries, Curtis maintained his position: “As I mentioned before, look, I support President Trump when he’s dealing with some of these really tough issues that we have, the economy and the conflicts overseas. But I do have my own mind, and I’m not a rubber stamp.”
During a discussion about Trump’s mandate within the party, Curtis shared a personal anecdote about a Thanksgiving conversation with his son, who supports Trump. “He said, ‘Dad, I’m a self-described… I took the red pill.’ So he set that up. My response to him was a couple of things. One, in a joking way, I said, ‘I did get more votes than him in Utah. Does that give me a mandate?'”
Curtis defended his approach to vetting presidential nominees, emphasizing the importance of thorough evaluation over automatic approval. His stance suggests potential resistance to some of Trump’s controversial nominees, including Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel.
Dismissing criticism from Trump supporters, Curtis stated, “Anybody who wants to give me heat for doing my job, bring it on.”
Mitt Romney’s replacement John Curtis says he’s more popular in Utah than Trump.
This guy also rejected Matt Gaetz.
Sen.-elect Curtis is a RINO.
He’s Romney 2.0.pic.twitter.com/rDaqZY4l5B
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) December 23, 2024
Curtis later expanded on his vision for working with Trump: “I want him to be wildly successful. I’m going to be win at his back on things like inflation. I want him to bring peace around the world. I want to deal with the border situation, and I’m really there for him. I want to be helpful. Mr. President, from time to time, I’m going to disagree with you, and it will be respectful. I think when I disagree with you, it will be helpful, and I hope you’ll listen to me.”
Campaign finance records reviewed by the Daily Caller reveal Curtis has received substantial donations from green energy industry sources during his congressional campaigns. The congressman, who has broken with conservative orthodoxy on climate change, announced his Senate campaign on January 2, joining an already crowded Republican primary field after initially deciding against running when Romney announced his retirement.
