This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Calling Donald Trump a "pragmatic deal-maker," former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said he's excited about the possibilities that Republicans and Democrats may find common ground on major pieces of legislation.
Huntsman appeared Friday on Fox Business, speaking in his capacity as co-chairman of the group No Labels, which seeks bipartisan cooperation.
"I'm actually a real optimist when it comes to some bipartisan wins early in the administration," said Huntsman, who also served as ambassador to China. "He's a classic deal-maker."
Huntsman previously praised Trump as an unorthodox politician who could shake up Washington, D.C., then called for Trump to get out of the presidential race after The Washington Post published the "Access Hollywood" tape showing the businessman saying he could get away with forcing himself on women.
Huntsman did not answer questions about whether he voted for Trump, who won the presidency in a stunner on Tuesday.
But now that Trump is the president-elect, Huntsman predicts that Trump may package tax reform, a major Republican goal, with a highway and bridge-building spending bill, which Democrats favor.
He also said it is possible that after Republicans repeal portions, if not all of the Affordable Care Act, Trump may strike a deal with Democrats on what replaces the health care reform law.
"He comes from the business-deal-making world. I've lived in that world. I've lived in the political-deal-making world," Huntsman said. "I suspect that being the pragmatic deal-maker that he is, he's going to find some democratic convergence."
— Editor's note: The owner and publisher of The Salt Lake Tribune is Paul Huntsman, who is the brother of Jon Huntsman