Senator Thom Tillis, the outgoing Republican from North Carolina, sent a series of private messages to former President Donald Trump that were described as profanity‑laden and angry. The texts, released by Politico, are expected to appear in Tillis’s forthcoming book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents.
In a May 22 text, Tillis wrote, “I still want to help but I don’t take this bull**** from anyone, including you Mr. President,” adding that he would have told Trump to “f*** yourself” if the president had threatened him. A June 6 message reiterated that Trump had never threatened him with a primary challenge and that any such threat would have prompted Tillis to announce his retirement immediately.
The exchange came amid a broader feud that began when Tillis opposed the “Big, Beautiful Bill” and later criticized Trump’s handling of the Iran war and the DHS. After announcing his retirement on June 29, 2025, Tillis said he would not seek reelection, a decision that followed Trump’s public call for primary challengers.
Tillis has been a vocal critic of the administration, labeling former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Minnesota immigration crackdown a “disaster” and calling the Iran conflict a potential “forever war” that hurts the economy. In September he dismissed Donald Trump Jr. as “stupid on stilts” after revelations that his wedding party was funded by a Russian oligarch.
Tillis’s Senate term will end in January 2027. The texts reveal a senator who has openly challenged Trump’s rhetoric and policy positions, marking him as one of the administration’s most outspoken Republican critics.
