Orem • Utah Republican Rep. John Curtis flatly refuses to entertain any question about former President Donald Trump’s ubiquitous legal troubles, even though it’s more likely than not that Trump will be the GOP standard bearer in the 2024 presidential election.
“I’ve been doing work in my district and haven’t been paying attention,” Curtis said Tuesday.
During his remarks at a Sutherland Institute event at Utah Valley University on Tuesday morning, the three-and-a-half-term congressman was dour while talking about the state of American politics, blaming tribalism and an “us-versus-them” attitude for infecting American politics.
“We seem willing to tolerate the exact amount of bad behavior needed to make sure someone pursuing our agenda is not taken out,” Curtis said. “Somehow, all the good guys are on my side, and all the bad guys are on the other side. We need to get better at calling out the bad behavior of those that share our politics.”
But Curtis dodged questions about the former president’s growing legal troubles. Trump has been indicted four times on charges that include his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, his handling of sensitive documents at his Florida residence and attempting to hide a sexual relationship with an adult film actress. The former president faces 91 felony charges in those cases.
“I can’t do anything about the former president,” Curtis said. “I can’t do anything about his legal problems.”
Even though Trump currently dominates his Republican rivals in the polls and enjoys support from most Republican voters, Curtis won’t say whether he’ll support Trump next year.
“The election is a long way away. I haven’t even thought about that question,” he said.
The first Republican presidential primary debate is on Wednesday. Trump has said he won’t be attending the event.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) U.S. Congressman John Curtis speaks at the Sutherland Institute at Utah Valley University, on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
During his prepared remarks, Curtis suggested that House Republicans would move to impeach President Joe Biden.
“We seem to be heading 100 miles per hour into a presidential election where both candidates have been impeached and accused of serious charges,” Curtis said.
Trump was impeached twice during his term for attempting to coerce the government of Ukraine into opening a criminal investigation into Joe Biden and inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Curtis voted “no” in both impeachments. U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has floated the idea that Republicans could open an impeachment inquiry into Biden sometime this fall.
Curtis would not say whether impeachment proceedings against Biden were inevitable but acknowledged it was a definite possibility.
“Impeachment papers have been filed by some of my colleagues. I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion,” Curtis said.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) U.S. Congressman John Curtis greets ROTC students after speaking at the Sutherland Institute at Utah Valley University, on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
Follow @@SchottHappens