The decision by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to not seek reelection next year could give Republican leaders headaches as he looks forward to wielding his newfound political freedom.
Tillis announced his retirement amid the GOP’s dash to pass the party’s tax and spending package, having cropped up as a surprise “no” vote in the final weeks of negotiations.
Now, questions are swirling about what’s to come from Tillis, who had been a reliable ally of Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) during his tenure as Republican leader, as he faces the next year-and-a-half untethered from what was to be a tough electoral fight and free to speak his mind. That could spell trouble for leaders as they work to keep the conference united on government funding, judicial nominations and other top priorities.
“You could have a member of the Senate who is going to support you 95 percent of the time, or you can have a member of the Senate that’s going to support you, but not near 95 [percent], and more free to speak and say what they think,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a top ally of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). “And now, I think you have a member who is here who is more interested in clearly speaking out and less reserved in what they have for criticisms.”
“It’s an independence that gives folks the opportunity to be a bit more direct with their comments,” Rounds continued. “I think you’ll find him to be a little bit more outspoken. A little less reserved. But I expect him to continue to participate.”
Tillis, in his retirement announcement, said he had no intention of being a wallflower.
“I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability,” he said.
And early indications are Tillis has become more freewheeling than he had been prior.
The two-term senator scorched Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in an interview with CNN this week, saying he would not vote for Hegseth today having seen how he’s operated. Tillis had reservations about the nomination in January after reports of sexual harassment, public drunkenness and workplace mismanagement emerged. But he cast the deciding vote to put Hegseth over the finish line.
“With the passing of time, I think it’s clear he’s out of his depth as a manager of a large, complex organization,” Tillis told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Tillis is also no longer an official member of Republican leadership, having been replaced on Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso’s (R-Wyo.) whip team by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who is viewed as an up-and-comer in the conference.
Barrasso told The Hill that the decision was ultimately up to Tillis.
The North Carolina lawmaker also told Tapper that he will also oppose any future Trump nominees who have expressed support for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Earlier this year, he helped sink the nomination of Ed Martin to serve as the top federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C., over his defense of Capitol rioters.
His approach to nominations, especially, could give Trump and Thune fits as they start to marshal through judicial picks.
Tillis serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee and could oppose any particularly partisan choice. The committee is split 12-10 between Republicans and Democrats, meaning Tillis could single-handedly bottle up a nominee — or at least force Thune to go through the lengthy process of forcing a nomination to the floor.
“I certainly think it’s a worry. … Do you think Thom Tillis is voting for Nick Adams? Let’s run the math on that nomination already,” one Senate GOP aide, referring to the self-described “alpha male” MAGA influencer Trump nominated to be the ambassador to Malaysia.
The aide noted that it’s incredibly unlikely that the foursome of Tillis, McConnell, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) back Adams.
“You might as well throw that nomination in the trash,” the aide continued. “You’re going to have examples like that where you’re going from three ‘no’ votes, which is winnable on issues like that, versus you have four ‘no’ votes that don’t care about the political fallout from the right.”
The aide also pointed to Tillis’s concerns with cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) that are currently included in legislation set to hit the floor next week.
Tillis told reporters this week that he is “generally going to be a ‘yes’ vote” on that bill, which seeks to claw back money already allocated in the fiscal year 2025 spending bill, though he is still looking into the PEPFAR cuts.
And Tillis already demonstrated his political independence with his vote against Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” last month. Tillis had agitated against the bill prior to the vote, raising the alarm about Medicaid cuts and political fallout, but some of his colleagues privately doubted he would follow through, pointing to his vote on Hegseth.
Instead, Tillis voted against a bill packed full of most of Trump’s domestic priorities, which the president had been pushing hard for months.
Despite his newly-discovered political freedom, Tillis remains an ally of leadership and is ever-cognizant of the landmines they must manage, having been a part of McConnell’s team in recent years and serving as Speaker in his home state prior to his 2014 Senate victory.
Top leaders still expect him to play an important role moving forward despite his recent untethering. Thune indicated that while the Tar Heel State senator has “strong views” and is an “independent thinker,” he remains a team player they will rely on.
Tillis was like-minded.
“I’m never going to do anything to undermine my conference and I’m never going to surprise my conference. … I’m not that kind of guy,” Tillis told The Hill, saying it’s “not his style.”
“I mean, if you’ve got to surprise or jam your conference to get something done, you’re a pretty shitty legislator,” he added.
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