Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), who didn’t again Donald Trump within the Republican primaries, says he doesn’t anticipate to at all times fall consistent with the president-elect when he replaces outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) within the Senate subsequent month.
“Look, I help President Trump when he’s coping with a few of these actually robust points that we’ve got, the economic system and the conflicts abroad. However I do have my very own thoughts and I’m not a rubber stamp,” stated Curtis in an interview with Jonathan Karl on ABC Information’ “This Week.”
“My stamp is the stamp of the state of Utah and I characterize these individuals.”
Curtis was elected to interchange Romney after pulling away with a victory in a crowded primary field that noticed him beat Trent Staggs, a Trump-backed GOP candidate and mayor of Riverton, Utah.
He criticized Trump at occasions in Congress and slammed the president-elect for encouraging an “act of home terrorism” in response to the lethal Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol assault. But he voted in opposition to each of Trump’s impeachments.
Previous to arriving within the Senate, he opposed Trump’s lawyer common choose Matt Gaetz earlier than the previous congressman ultimately withdrew his identify from consideration amid backlash.
Curtis, when requested by Karl about Romney’s willingness to “get up in opposition to his personal occasion’s management,” famous that it’s essential that Trump is “wildly profitable” however that doesn’t imply he’ll at all times agree with him.
“So one of the best description for me is — is regular,” stated Curtis when requested about labels like “MAGA Republican,” “Romney Republican,” and “McCain Republican.”
Curtis, who acquired extra votes than Trump in Utah, declared that he can’t advise the president-elect on his Cupboard picks with out having “totally” spoken together with his nominees.
“And I feel the higher job I do, the higher president he might be,” he stated.
Karl later shared a message to critics who known as on him to “simply get in line” with Trump already.
“Anyone who needs to provide me warmth for doing my job, deliver it on. That is my job. It’s my constitutional accountability,” Curtis stated.
“These similar persons are the identical individuals who would have stated earlier, ‘You’ll want to take energy again from the manager department. You’ll want to do your job.’ I’ve heard that from these exact same individuals, and that’s what I’m doing.”
Take a look at the lawmaker’s interview with Karl within the clip beneath.
