‘Endangered’: Republican U.S. senator defying Trump won’t seek reelection
Just hours after voting no on advancing President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill and the president’s vow to have him primaried, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced he will not seek reelection.
“In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” Tillis said.
“Democrats recently lost two such leaders who were dedicated to making the Senate more of a functional and productive legislative body. They got things done. But they were shunned after they courageously refused to cave to their party bosses to nuke the filibuster for the sake of political expediency. They ultimately retired and their presence in the Senate chamber has been sorely missed every day since.
BREAKING: Senator Thom Tillis announced he will not be seeking reelection.
This comes after the President came down heavy on him due to his opposition to the Big, Beautiful Bill. pic.twitter.com/L2Z9BxNEgg
— Trending Politics (@tpbreaking) June 29, 2025
“It underscores the greatest form of hypocrisy in American politics. When people see independent thinking on the other side, they cheer. But when those very same people see independent thinking coming from their side, they scorn, ostracize, and even censure them.
“Too many elected officials are motivated by pure raw politics who really don’t give a damn about the people they promised to represent on the campaign trail. After they get elected, they don’t bother to do the hard work to research the policies they seek to implement and understand the consequences those policies could have on that young adult living in a trailer park, struggling to make ends meet.
“As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven’t exactly been excited about running for another term.”
Tillis was verbally scorched by President Trump after voting against the tax-reducing bill which advanced late Saturday in the Senate.
In several messages targeting the senator on Truth Social, Trump indicated: “Thom Tillis has hurt the great people of North Carolina. Even on the catastrophic flooding, nothing was done to help until I took office. Then a MIRACLE took place! Tillis is a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER! He’s even worse than Rand ‘Fauci’ Paul!
“Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against ‘Senator Thom’ Tillis. I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trump also praised other Republican senators for their work advancing the bill.
“Tonight we saw a GREAT VICTORY in the Senate with the ‘GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL,'” Trump said,” but, it wouldn’t have happened without the Fantastic Work of Senator Rick Scott, Senator Mike Lee, Senator Ron Johnson, and Senator Cynthia Lummis. They, along with all of the other Republican Patriots who voted for the Bill, are people who truly love our Country!
“As President of the USA, I am proud of them all, and look forward to working with them to GROW OUR ECONOMY, REDUCE WASTEFUL SPENDING, SECURE OUR BORDER, FIGHT FOR OUR MILITARY/VETS, ENSURE THAT OUR MEDICAID SYSTEM HELPS THOSE WHO TRULY NEED IT, PROTECT OUR SECOND AMENDMENT, AND SO MUCH MORE. GOD BLESS AMERICA &, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
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Senate narrowly jumps 1st hurdle toward approval of big, beautiful bill