Thom Tillis Announces Retirement Hours After Trump Threatened To Field Primary Challenger
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Senator Tillis Ends Reelection Bid After Trump Threatens North Carolina Primary Challenge
Above: Sen. Thom Tillis speaks at the U.S. Capitol on June 27, 2025. Image copyright: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Tillis' grandstanding against Trump's historic bill was a betrayal of the voters who elected him to support the president's agenda. The senator chose to obstruct legislation that would deliver the biggest tax cut in American history while protecting border security and strengthening the military. Trump was right to call out this disloyalty and begin the search for a better candidate.
Democratic narrative
Tillis made the right call standing up for North Carolina families who would be hurt by Trump's reckless bill. The senator showed courage by putting his constituents before party politics, even when facing Trump's bullying tactics. His retirement exposes how toxic the GOP has become, as even principled conservatives have been forced out for telling the truth about harmful legislation.