We use to call people like Curtis, hypocrites, opportunists, and often said to them, "tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are". But in today's politics we justify their actions because they are better than those who could replace them. I knew a close friendsof the congressman when he first ran for mayor. He told me that he had to constantly remind him to keep some of his thoughts private because people might not like some of his mean spirited ideas. He learned to do that, and he still does it, though Trumpism eventually unveils your real thoughts. I have little respect for men like Curtis who not only fool those who want to be fooled, but he also manages to confuse the MAGA people to think he is one of them. He might be the worse kind of politician, one with no moral compass except that which gets him where he wants to go.
It makes me think, is the only way to have a politician brave and bold enough representing us is if he too is a billionaire? Romney didn’t have to worry about “getting primaried” because 1. Maybe he always knew he would only be in for one term, but 2. He had his own money to run again. Since the ruling of Citizens United we’ve lost the ability to have representation that can stand on moral high ground and vote on principle over party. I’m not excusing Curtis for his inaction, but maybe this is what the new norm will look like due to the corruption that has infiltrated our government
Statements describing President Trump as having “no respect for democracy” while insinuating we are currently experiencing “a national emergency” that is “taking us to the brink” stifles genuine and intelligent political discourse in my humble opinion. Mercifully, the reader was spared any mention of a “dictator occupying the White House”. That particular one is gaining traction lately. Trump served as US President from 2016 to 2020. During that time I don’t recall seeing a catastrophic attack on our democracy. Rather, I observed strong economic growth and employment, low inflation and a major brokered peace deal in the Middle East just to name a few. Given those metrics, future historians could describe Trump’s first term as competent. It’s clear the author cares about competence as he should; he repeatedly calls out the Trump administration for its alleged “chronic incompetence”. To be fair, the many instances of seemingly intentional incompetence committed by the Biden / Harris administration the last four years are too numerous to name here. Unnecessary and cruel covid lockdowns, BLM / Antifa given license to terrorize, riot and cause untold destruction to persons and property, muffed Afghanistan withdrawal resulting in the loss of 13 US service members, virtually nonexistent enforcement at the southern border, record inflation, men allowed to play in women’s sports. It’s worthwhile to highlight it was these - and more - instances of incompetence that drove many registered Dems and undecided voters to cast their vote for Trump this time around. Is a vote for Trump an endorsement of the man’s character? No. Politics doesn’t work that way. Trump says crazy things. Lots of evidence he’s a womanizer. Given his deficiencies in character, am I then obligated to vote for the incoherent, inept, pro-abortion Democratic alternative who has shown herself to be unfamiliar with and indifferent to economics, border security, homeland security and world politics? I'm convinced if we were given a glimpse into the personal lives of the vast majority of politicians we see on TV we would recoil. So what's the answer? I'm open to suggestions here. As church-going, law-abiding citizens, waiting to vote for a candidate who observes our same morals would mean rarely casting a vote. And the disparaging comments about Pete Hegseth and RFK, Jr - two highly competent, experienced and knowledgeable individuals in their respective fields - is just silly. Sadly, corruption in politics didn’t start with Trump and most likely won’t end there. Biden, Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, Elizabeth Warren, Mitt Romney and John Kerry all ballooned their personal wealth during their respective time in public office. If it’s proven Trump personally enriched himself as the author implies he will, he should be held to the same standard as all corrupt politicians who bought and sold stocks and made back-table deals based on congressional knowledge. For the record, I know Senator Curtis personally, worked closely with him for over a decade. I know him to be an exceptional individual with a strong moral compass. Would that the other 49 states be so fortunate as to have the Constitution-based representation we enjoy here in UT from Senator Curtis and Senator Lee.
Quentin, thanks for the engagement! I would point out a few things in response:
1. Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his legitimate defeat in the 2020 presidential election, coupled with his complicity in the January 6 insurrection, constitutes a "catastrophic attack on our democracy." When a candidate refuses to abide by election results he signals his contempt for democracy.
2. Regarding the Biden administration’s “incompetence,” I think the obvious difference here is one of degree. The previous administration made some mistakes, but it was not marked by the same disdain for expertise and willful disinterest in good governance that has characterized both Trump presidencies so far. Previous administrations, Democratic and Republican alike, have tried to use the government to benefit the American people; Trump’s approach, on the other hand, has been to haphazardly gut the federal government with no concern for consequences.
3. In terms of character, there is no similarity between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. In my opinion, the enormity of his character flaws is more than sufficient reason to oppose him, but if the character argument isn’t convincing, then consider his anti-democratic behavior. If that doesn’t convince you, then consider his recent pivot towards Putin and his despicable mistreatment of our ally, Ukraine.
4. Your claim that Pete Hegseth and RFK Jr. are “experienced and knowledgeable individuals in their respective fields” strains credulity. Hegseth woefully mismanaged the two veterans advocacy nonprofits he used to head (in one case, to the brink of bankruptcy), and RFK is notorious for creating and propagating misinformation about public health. Given these facts, I strongly disagree that it is "silly" to seriously question the competence of both men.
5. I don’t know John Curtis personally, so I trust your judgment that he is “an exceptional individual with a strong moral compass.” However, his decision to confirm Hegseth, Kennedy, and Kash Patel to their respective cabinet appointments was a huge mistake. Utahns deserve a Senator who will stand up to Trump’s excesses and neither Curtis nor Lee has yet risen to the occasion.
I frequently hear criticism directed toward Trump surrounding his refusal to accept his defeat in 2020. What I don’t hear much about is condemnation directed toward the chorus of high-ranking Democrat politicians who repeatedly sang the same tune to legacy media about how Trump “stole” the election in 2016. No doubt the liberal left was emboldened by hearing their political leaders delegitimatize Trump’s 2016 win. And when the left doesn’t get its way, the inevitable result is domestic terrorism, hate and violence. I believe we’re seeing the ripple effect of that dangerous rhetoric today: look no further than the recent criminal vandalism on Tesla cars and dealerships. Apparently the climate doesn't matter anymore to the liberal left.
The argument that Biden / Harris ‘made some mistakes’ but made those mistakes with good intent in the pursuit of benefitting the American people is not accurate. How does allowing millions of illegal immigrants - some violent criminals - to freely cross the southern border into the US benefit American citizens? Do the women and children being trafficked across the border benefit? Does it benefit the American citizens who are terrorized / murdered by these illegal immigrants? In the aggregate, did Covid lockdowns benefit the American people? How about their small businesses that were permanently shut down? The elderly who died alone? School-age children who suffered in isolation without peers and in-person teacher-led instruction? How about allowing BLM / Antifa virtually unimpeded to riot and firebomb multiple US cities, including some federal buildings and commit murder? One of those murdered by Antifa / BLM was a retired St Louis police captain. Is it “haphazard” to stop the issuance of social security checks to 200 year-olds? I’ll repeat my earlier point here; the Biden / Harris administration's long march of incompetence the last four years coupled with uncontrolled government spending reduced the quality of life for American citizens and gave us Trump 2.0.
I watched Trump’s Joint Address to Congress a few weeks back and witnessed an entire chamber of Democrats - the party of Kamala Harris - sit on their hands and refuse to stand and clap as Trump honored:
- A 13-year old boy fighting brain cancer
- A young boy accepted to West Point whose late father is a murdered LA County Deputy
- Laken Riley’s mother and sister
- Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted and murdered by Venezuelan illegal immigrants
It’s not a stretch to believe Kamala Harris would have closed ranks with her fellow Dems and also refused to stand and clap during these instances thanks to the Democrat's collective hatred of Trump and Elon. Some would classify those actions as a severe lack of character.
For what it’s worth, it’s documented that Kamala fostered a toxic and abusive work environment marked by dysfunction and high turnover from her staff.
Regarding Zalenskyy, I’ve been alive a long time and have never seen anything like the exchange that happened with VP Vance, Trump and Zalenskyy. The combative excerpt from that exchange is the highlight; however, it was a 40 minute interaction. It’s odd to me Zalenskyy’s show of arrogance given his diminished ability to end this war on his own and given his country has received close to 100 billion in dispersed funds from the USA. I would expect to see a little more gratitude on display from someone who has been gifted this amount of money. An important statistic: 78% of Americans want a negotiated end to this war. Is Trump not acting on behalf of the will of the people he represents? You may not like his style, but he won the presidency in part due to this platform of his campaign. I’ve rarely seen a political figure be so vilified for being anti-war, anti-killing. It’s a new look for the tolerant, liberal left to be sure.
The jury is out on Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel and RFK, Jr. No one is wrong about everything. Yet Democrats would have you believe these folks - a few who enjoyed comfortable positions of acceptance in the Democratic Party at one time - are dangerous to public health or are adorned with the wrong style of tattoo simply because it was Trump who nominated them. I’m just praying one of them doesn’t suddenly get the urge to steal luggage from a baggage carousel in the hopes it’s full of women’s dresses. And if it were up to me, every single DoD staff member who had jurisdiction over the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal would be banned from public service forever.
It is perplexing to me that of all the dead-weight US Senators in office today - both Democrat and Republican - many of whom have engorged themselves with wealth during their time in public office with little or no ROI to show to the American taxpayer, it was Senator Curtis who was the addressee of your letter. If you attended his recent speech at the Y, I'm confident you went away feeling better about him being our Senator.
I addressed Senator Curtis because he is a Utah senator and this is a Utah newsletter. Furthermore, of the Republicans currently serving in the Senate, he is one of only a handful whom we can realistically expect to finally say enough is enough to President Trump, although his behavior so far has not been encouraging.
In fact, the Senator's speech at BYU the other day was not at all reassuring, as he sought to wash his hands of his responsibility as a United States Senator to reign in a catastrophic president. In my opinion, trying to tell his constituents that all is well and that President Trump is not his problem constitutes a dereliction of duty.
I was in attendance for Senator Curtis' recent address at the Y. I recall him stating the American people elect the US President, not the Senate. Again, to what exactly should Sen Curtis say 'enough is enough'? Trump secured 59.39% of the vote in Utah, an improvement over his 2020 performance. Clearly, that statistic doesn't sit well with some folks. But to portray it as a Sen Curtis problem is barking up the wrong tree. The real 'dereliction of duty' would be for Sen Curtis to act in contrary to the will of the people he represents.
What a remarkably rose-colored, indeed fact-free, view of Trump's first term in office and the efforts to hold him legally accountable while Biden was in office. And what a deluded rationale for voting for Trump a second time! If you didn't like Harris you didn't have to vote for either one. I'm willing to take your word that you are law-abiding, but as for church-going, it's clear you don't nearly often enough. As Dear Abby used to say, church is not a museum for saints but a hospital for sinners.
This is so well written. Thank you for taking the time and energy to put this together. I hope thousands come to the peacemakers rally in support of honesty in high places, the Constitution, freedom, democracy, and kindness. John Curtis could initiate the crack that breaks the chokehold the president has on Republican members of Congress. It only takes one brave and courageous soul.
I actually go back and forth wondering whether Curtis is playing a "long game," saying what he needs to to stay in office and off Trump's retaliation radar, or whether he's actually tasted the MAGA kool-aid. This morning, after looking at his recently sponsored legislation (much of which I could support) and statements on Ukraine and Trump's address (where Curtis is obviously walking a line), I'm inclined to think it's the former. I too wish Curtis would be less of a Trump apologist, and I hate some of the things he says! But I can see why he might be saying them, since many people who voted for him also voted for Trump. I only hope if Trump's authoritarianism becomes SO obviously egregious (as in continually ignoring court orders, jailing journalists, refusing to leave power) that Curtis will cash in some of his political capital and take a stronger stance. By then, of course, it might be too late. I think whatever protest happens next Monday is warranted, but I think Curtis also needs constituents to recognize the good things he is trying to do in his day-to-day actions in the Senate so that he'll continue to do those good things. I'd rather hold my nose while listening to him sanewash (still a dangerous practice) than see him voted out and replaced by another Mike Lee.
We use to call people like Curtis, hypocrites, opportunists, and often said to them, "tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are". But in today's politics we justify their actions because they are better than those who could replace them. I knew a close friendsof the congressman when he first ran for mayor. He told me that he had to constantly remind him to keep some of his thoughts private because people might not like some of his mean spirited ideas. He learned to do that, and he still does it, though Trumpism eventually unveils your real thoughts. I have little respect for men like Curtis who not only fool those who want to be fooled, but he also manages to confuse the MAGA people to think he is one of them. He might be the worse kind of politician, one with no moral compass except that which gets him where he wants to go.
It makes me think, is the only way to have a politician brave and bold enough representing us is if he too is a billionaire? Romney didn’t have to worry about “getting primaried” because 1. Maybe he always knew he would only be in for one term, but 2. He had his own money to run again. Since the ruling of Citizens United we’ve lost the ability to have representation that can stand on moral high ground and vote on principle over party. I’m not excusing Curtis for his inaction, but maybe this is what the new norm will look like due to the corruption that has infiltrated our government
Statements describing President Trump as having “no respect for democracy” while insinuating we are currently experiencing “a national emergency” that is “taking us to the brink” stifles genuine and intelligent political discourse in my humble opinion. Mercifully, the reader was spared any mention of a “dictator occupying the White House”. That particular one is gaining traction lately. Trump served as US President from 2016 to 2020. During that time I don’t recall seeing a catastrophic attack on our democracy. Rather, I observed strong economic growth and employment, low inflation and a major brokered peace deal in the Middle East just to name a few. Given those metrics, future historians could describe Trump’s first term as competent. It’s clear the author cares about competence as he should; he repeatedly calls out the Trump administration for its alleged “chronic incompetence”. To be fair, the many instances of seemingly intentional incompetence committed by the Biden / Harris administration the last four years are too numerous to name here. Unnecessary and cruel covid lockdowns, BLM / Antifa given license to terrorize, riot and cause untold destruction to persons and property, muffed Afghanistan withdrawal resulting in the loss of 13 US service members, virtually nonexistent enforcement at the southern border, record inflation, men allowed to play in women’s sports. It’s worthwhile to highlight it was these - and more - instances of incompetence that drove many registered Dems and undecided voters to cast their vote for Trump this time around. Is a vote for Trump an endorsement of the man’s character? No. Politics doesn’t work that way. Trump says crazy things. Lots of evidence he’s a womanizer. Given his deficiencies in character, am I then obligated to vote for the incoherent, inept, pro-abortion Democratic alternative who has shown herself to be unfamiliar with and indifferent to economics, border security, homeland security and world politics? I'm convinced if we were given a glimpse into the personal lives of the vast majority of politicians we see on TV we would recoil. So what's the answer? I'm open to suggestions here. As church-going, law-abiding citizens, waiting to vote for a candidate who observes our same morals would mean rarely casting a vote. And the disparaging comments about Pete Hegseth and RFK, Jr - two highly competent, experienced and knowledgeable individuals in their respective fields - is just silly. Sadly, corruption in politics didn’t start with Trump and most likely won’t end there. Biden, Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, Elizabeth Warren, Mitt Romney and John Kerry all ballooned their personal wealth during their respective time in public office. If it’s proven Trump personally enriched himself as the author implies he will, he should be held to the same standard as all corrupt politicians who bought and sold stocks and made back-table deals based on congressional knowledge. For the record, I know Senator Curtis personally, worked closely with him for over a decade. I know him to be an exceptional individual with a strong moral compass. Would that the other 49 states be so fortunate as to have the Constitution-based representation we enjoy here in UT from Senator Curtis and Senator Lee.
Quentin, thanks for the engagement! I would point out a few things in response:
1. Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his legitimate defeat in the 2020 presidential election, coupled with his complicity in the January 6 insurrection, constitutes a "catastrophic attack on our democracy." When a candidate refuses to abide by election results he signals his contempt for democracy.
2. Regarding the Biden administration’s “incompetence,” I think the obvious difference here is one of degree. The previous administration made some mistakes, but it was not marked by the same disdain for expertise and willful disinterest in good governance that has characterized both Trump presidencies so far. Previous administrations, Democratic and Republican alike, have tried to use the government to benefit the American people; Trump’s approach, on the other hand, has been to haphazardly gut the federal government with no concern for consequences.
3. In terms of character, there is no similarity between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. In my opinion, the enormity of his character flaws is more than sufficient reason to oppose him, but if the character argument isn’t convincing, then consider his anti-democratic behavior. If that doesn’t convince you, then consider his recent pivot towards Putin and his despicable mistreatment of our ally, Ukraine.
4. Your claim that Pete Hegseth and RFK Jr. are “experienced and knowledgeable individuals in their respective fields” strains credulity. Hegseth woefully mismanaged the two veterans advocacy nonprofits he used to head (in one case, to the brink of bankruptcy), and RFK is notorious for creating and propagating misinformation about public health. Given these facts, I strongly disagree that it is "silly" to seriously question the competence of both men.
5. I don’t know John Curtis personally, so I trust your judgment that he is “an exceptional individual with a strong moral compass.” However, his decision to confirm Hegseth, Kennedy, and Kash Patel to their respective cabinet appointments was a huge mistake. Utahns deserve a Senator who will stand up to Trump’s excesses and neither Curtis nor Lee has yet risen to the occasion.
I frequently hear criticism directed toward Trump surrounding his refusal to accept his defeat in 2020. What I don’t hear much about is condemnation directed toward the chorus of high-ranking Democrat politicians who repeatedly sang the same tune to legacy media about how Trump “stole” the election in 2016. No doubt the liberal left was emboldened by hearing their political leaders delegitimatize Trump’s 2016 win. And when the left doesn’t get its way, the inevitable result is domestic terrorism, hate and violence. I believe we’re seeing the ripple effect of that dangerous rhetoric today: look no further than the recent criminal vandalism on Tesla cars and dealerships. Apparently the climate doesn't matter anymore to the liberal left.
The argument that Biden / Harris ‘made some mistakes’ but made those mistakes with good intent in the pursuit of benefitting the American people is not accurate. How does allowing millions of illegal immigrants - some violent criminals - to freely cross the southern border into the US benefit American citizens? Do the women and children being trafficked across the border benefit? Does it benefit the American citizens who are terrorized / murdered by these illegal immigrants? In the aggregate, did Covid lockdowns benefit the American people? How about their small businesses that were permanently shut down? The elderly who died alone? School-age children who suffered in isolation without peers and in-person teacher-led instruction? How about allowing BLM / Antifa virtually unimpeded to riot and firebomb multiple US cities, including some federal buildings and commit murder? One of those murdered by Antifa / BLM was a retired St Louis police captain. Is it “haphazard” to stop the issuance of social security checks to 200 year-olds? I’ll repeat my earlier point here; the Biden / Harris administration's long march of incompetence the last four years coupled with uncontrolled government spending reduced the quality of life for American citizens and gave us Trump 2.0.
I watched Trump’s Joint Address to Congress a few weeks back and witnessed an entire chamber of Democrats - the party of Kamala Harris - sit on their hands and refuse to stand and clap as Trump honored:
- A 13-year old boy fighting brain cancer
- A young boy accepted to West Point whose late father is a murdered LA County Deputy
- Laken Riley’s mother and sister
- Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted and murdered by Venezuelan illegal immigrants
It’s not a stretch to believe Kamala Harris would have closed ranks with her fellow Dems and also refused to stand and clap during these instances thanks to the Democrat's collective hatred of Trump and Elon. Some would classify those actions as a severe lack of character.
For what it’s worth, it’s documented that Kamala fostered a toxic and abusive work environment marked by dysfunction and high turnover from her staff.
Regarding Zalenskyy, I’ve been alive a long time and have never seen anything like the exchange that happened with VP Vance, Trump and Zalenskyy. The combative excerpt from that exchange is the highlight; however, it was a 40 minute interaction. It’s odd to me Zalenskyy’s show of arrogance given his diminished ability to end this war on his own and given his country has received close to 100 billion in dispersed funds from the USA. I would expect to see a little more gratitude on display from someone who has been gifted this amount of money. An important statistic: 78% of Americans want a negotiated end to this war. Is Trump not acting on behalf of the will of the people he represents? You may not like his style, but he won the presidency in part due to this platform of his campaign. I’ve rarely seen a political figure be so vilified for being anti-war, anti-killing. It’s a new look for the tolerant, liberal left to be sure.
The jury is out on Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel and RFK, Jr. No one is wrong about everything. Yet Democrats would have you believe these folks - a few who enjoyed comfortable positions of acceptance in the Democratic Party at one time - are dangerous to public health or are adorned with the wrong style of tattoo simply because it was Trump who nominated them. I’m just praying one of them doesn’t suddenly get the urge to steal luggage from a baggage carousel in the hopes it’s full of women’s dresses. And if it were up to me, every single DoD staff member who had jurisdiction over the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal would be banned from public service forever.
It is perplexing to me that of all the dead-weight US Senators in office today - both Democrat and Republican - many of whom have engorged themselves with wealth during their time in public office with little or no ROI to show to the American taxpayer, it was Senator Curtis who was the addressee of your letter. If you attended his recent speech at the Y, I'm confident you went away feeling better about him being our Senator.
I addressed Senator Curtis because he is a Utah senator and this is a Utah newsletter. Furthermore, of the Republicans currently serving in the Senate, he is one of only a handful whom we can realistically expect to finally say enough is enough to President Trump, although his behavior so far has not been encouraging.
In fact, the Senator's speech at BYU the other day was not at all reassuring, as he sought to wash his hands of his responsibility as a United States Senator to reign in a catastrophic president. In my opinion, trying to tell his constituents that all is well and that President Trump is not his problem constitutes a dereliction of duty.
I was in attendance for Senator Curtis' recent address at the Y. I recall him stating the American people elect the US President, not the Senate. Again, to what exactly should Sen Curtis say 'enough is enough'? Trump secured 59.39% of the vote in Utah, an improvement over his 2020 performance. Clearly, that statistic doesn't sit well with some folks. But to portray it as a Sen Curtis problem is barking up the wrong tree. The real 'dereliction of duty' would be for Sen Curtis to act in contrary to the will of the people he represents.
What a remarkably rose-colored, indeed fact-free, view of Trump's first term in office and the efforts to hold him legally accountable while Biden was in office. And what a deluded rationale for voting for Trump a second time! If you didn't like Harris you didn't have to vote for either one. I'm willing to take your word that you are law-abiding, but as for church-going, it's clear you don't nearly often enough. As Dear Abby used to say, church is not a museum for saints but a hospital for sinners.
Zach, thanks so much for the post. I just followed you and messaged you on Facebook. I want to come to the rally and invite friends to come.
This is so well written. Thank you for taking the time and energy to put this together. I hope thousands come to the peacemakers rally in support of honesty in high places, the Constitution, freedom, democracy, and kindness. John Curtis could initiate the crack that breaks the chokehold the president has on Republican members of Congress. It only takes one brave and courageous soul.
I actually go back and forth wondering whether Curtis is playing a "long game," saying what he needs to to stay in office and off Trump's retaliation radar, or whether he's actually tasted the MAGA kool-aid. This morning, after looking at his recently sponsored legislation (much of which I could support) and statements on Ukraine and Trump's address (where Curtis is obviously walking a line), I'm inclined to think it's the former. I too wish Curtis would be less of a Trump apologist, and I hate some of the things he says! But I can see why he might be saying them, since many people who voted for him also voted for Trump. I only hope if Trump's authoritarianism becomes SO obviously egregious (as in continually ignoring court orders, jailing journalists, refusing to leave power) that Curtis will cash in some of his political capital and take a stronger stance. By then, of course, it might be too late. I think whatever protest happens next Monday is warranted, but I think Curtis also needs constituents to recognize the good things he is trying to do in his day-to-day actions in the Senate so that he'll continue to do those good things. I'd rather hold my nose while listening to him sanewash (still a dangerous practice) than see him voted out and replaced by another Mike Lee.
Thanks for the heads up on both the protest and the BYU event!