Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) fired back Friday at President Donald Trump’s latest criticism of the retiring centrist lawmaker, saying the president’s advisers were giving him bad policy advice ahead of the November midterms.
In a Truth Social post earlier that day, Trump claimed the “weak and ineffective” Tillis was a “Nitpicker” who is “always fighting against the Republican Party, and ME,” and that the second-term senator decided to retire after being refused an endorsement.
“Now he can have all the fun he wants for a few months, with some of his RINO friends, screwing the Republican Party,” Trump wrote, using the acronym for “Republicans in Name Only.”
Tillis, a frequent Trump critic, shot back in a social media post to criticize the administration’s $1.8 billion “lawfare” fund, advocating for 50-year mortgages, exchanging government-funded subsidies for stakes in public and private companies, firing “our very best generals,” and not holding Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable. He also took aim at each of the officials behind the policies.
“Mr. President, completely agree about having a lot of fun over these next seven months. But nitpicking?” Tillis posted. “If opposing these things makes me a RINO, then I gladly accept that nickname. We need Republicans to do well in November, but the stupid stuff is killing our chances!”
Trump’s post came amid tensions with Senate Republicans after they put the brakes on the party’s $70 billion immigration enforcement reconciliation bill over uproar against the president’s actions, including efforts to oust incumbent GOP senators and create the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that could compensate Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters.
TRUMP CLAIMS TILLIS ‘QUIT’ REELECTION BID AFTER TRUMP REFUSED ENDORSEMENT
“When I told him that I would not, under any circumstances, endorse him for another run, too much work and drama (he couldn’t have won, anyway!), he immediately quit the race and publicly announced that he was going to ‘retire,’” Trump posted. “I said, ‘Wow, great news, that was easy!’ 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!”
Without Tillis on the ticket, North Carolina’s open Senate seat leans in Democrats’ favor in the race between Republican Michael Whatley and Democrat Roy Cooper.