In April, Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), who is currently running to replace Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), released an ad highlighting his purported pro-law enforcement policies and support for the police. However, in June 2020, he publicly sided with the Black Lives Matter movement, which has called for defunding law enforcement in America. In a tweet from June 19th, 2020, Curtis stated that “Black Lives Matter” and expressed his commitment to finding meaningful solutions to societal problems.
The Black Lives Matter organization wrote in May 2020, calling for the defunding of police across the nation and urging people to invest in their communities instead. Despite this stance, Curtis has continued to express his support for law enforcement. In April 2021, he acknowledged that crucial conversations surrounding race relations began with the death of George Floyd, and emphasized that there is still work to be done regardless of the outcome of Derek Chauvin’s trial.
Curtis has also claimed that former President Donald Trump’s border wall carries “pent-up racism.” In a debate in 2017, he said that he would support Trump’s border wall if it is deemed the best measure for border security, but acknowledged the idea of a border wall “carries all of this pent-up racism.