President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a frequent critic who recently condemned the creation of a $1.8 billion slush fund. In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump accused Tillis of being a quitter and betraying the Republican Party.
“The media said how brave he was to take me on, but he wasn’t brave, he was just the opposite — HE WAS A QUITTER!” Trump wrote. “Now he can have all the fun he wants for a few months, with some of his RINO friends, screwing the Republican Party. In the end it will only get bigger, and better, and stronger, than ever before!!!”
Tillis, who is not seeking reelection, gave an interview to Politico published Friday outlining his opposition to Trump. He expressed concern for the president’s legacy, claiming Trump receives “bad advice” from “unelecteds in the White House.” Specifically, he criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s counsel on the Iran war and called for Hegseth’s firing, labeling him “incompetent and doing a horrible job.”
Tillis also worried about Republican prospects in the upcoming November midterm elections. “Every time I have opposed this president is because I believe it’s at odds with getting Republicans reelected,” he said.
The senator has been a persistent critic of Trump. Earlier this week, he described the slush fund as “stupid on stilts” and “absurd” for potentially benefiting those who assaulted police during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He previously condemned Trump’s mass pardons for January 6 defendants, stating on the Senate floor in January, “We let bad people go, and we sent the message that if you come to the Capitol and you have the right president in office, he’s going to let you get past things that not any one of us would get away with.”
Tillis has also called Trump’s tariffs a “dud” and “objectively a failure,” and has criticized the administration’s handling of files related to late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Despite the public clashes, Tillis told Politico he and Trump maintain regular communication. “We’ve continued to have solid communications,” Tillis said. “But I’m not going to kiss this man’s ass or anybody else’s when I believe he’s not in a good place.”
