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By Steve Mollman
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Senator Thom Tillis responded on Friday to insults President Donald Trump lobbed at him earlier in the day. The North Carolina Republican has been a thorn in the president’s side on a range of issues, including U.S. commitments to NATO, the performance of Cabinet officials, and presidential pardons for January 6 U.S. Capitol rioters who assaulted police officers.
The latest clash centers around Tillis’ opposition to a controversial “anti-weaponization” fund created as part of a legal settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The $1.8 billion fund, established by the Justice Department, is designed to compensate individuals who claim they were unfairly targeted by the federal government—a persistent grievance raised by Trump and his allies regarding the Biden administration.
Tillis emerged this week as one of the most outspoken congressional critics of the fund. In response, Trump escalated his attacks Friday morning on Truth Social, labeling him a "RINO" (Republican in Name Only) and a “nitpicker” who repeatedly opposes both the party and the administration.
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"People don’t remember that Thom Tillis, the weak and ineffective Senator…didn’t have the courage to fight it out," Trump wrote. The president suggested Tillis only declined to run for reelection because he lacked his endorsement, adding: "Now he can have all the fun he wants for a few months, with some of his RINO friends, screwing the Republican Party."
Tillis, who announced last summer he wouldn't seek reelection, will exit Congress in January 2027. His impending departure comes amid a broader turnover among congressional Republicans, including Senator Bill Cassidy and Representative Thomas Massie, both of whom recently lost primaries to Trump-backed challengers. Untethered from reelection politics, Tillis and other departing lawmakers face fewer constraints when breaking with the White House.
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Tillis Fires Back
Tillis responded directly to Trump’s post, deploying a sharper tone than he has typically used toward the president.
“Mr. President, completely agree about having a lot of fun over these next seven months,” Tillis wrote on X Friday. “But nitpicking?” He then listed a series of policy decisions and positions he blamed on Trump advisers. Among them, the senator:
- Took aim at housing proposals circulating among Trump allies, including the idea of extending mortgages to 50 years, which he mocked as a departure from what he called sound conservative housing policy.
- Criticized moves to sideline senior military leaders and argued the administration is not holding Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for abuses in Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
- Warned against proposals that he said would use taxpayer money to take stakes in publicly traded companies, which he argued would amount to turning them into state-owned enterprises.
“If opposing these things makes me a RINO, then I gladly accept that nickname,” Tillis continued. “We need Republicans to do well in November, but the stupid stuff is killing our chances!”
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Newsweek Friday: "President Trump is the unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican party, and he is committed to maintaining Republicans’ majority in Congress to continue delivering wins for the American people."
Fund at Center of Dispute
The anti-weaponization fund has drawn fierce resistance from Tillis, who has spent days warning colleagues about the political fallout of the measure ahead of the midterms.
“This is beyond the pale,” Tillis told reporters on Thursday. “This is not good for my colleagues. There’s not one positive thing that could be spun out of this between now and November. This is bad policy, it’s bad timing, and it’s bad politics.”
The senator was particularly rankled by provisions that could allow individuals convicted of assaulting police officers during the U.S. Capitol riot to receive taxpayer-funded compensation if they claim government bias.
“It will invariably put us in a position where your taxpayer dollars and my taxpayer dollars could potentially compensate someone who assaulted a police officer, admitted their guilt, got convicted, got pardoned, and now we are going to pay them for that,” Tillis told Spectrum News on Wednesday. “That’s absurd.”
A Pattern of Breaks
In recent weeks, Tillis has sharply criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over U.S. military policy in Europe, calling reported decisions affecting troop deployments “impulsive” and not grounded in sound judgment.
Earlier this year, he took aim at then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, delivering a sharp rebuke during a Senate Judiciary Committee. He called her leadership a “disaster,” citing the administration’s immigration crackdown, including mistaken detentions of U.S. citizens and the handling of fatal enforcement incidents.
Tillis has also condemned the administration’s approach toward Greenland, criticizing suggestions the U.S. should seek control of the Danish territory. He called the idea “irresponsible” and warned it risked damaging NATO alliances. The senator argued Arctic security concerns could be addressed through cooperation, saying pressure on an ally’s territory would undermine U.S. credibility and benefit adversaries such as Russia.
Additionally, Tillis demonstrated his legislative leverage earlier this year by blocking Kevin Warsh’s nomination to the Federal Reserve until the Department of Justice dropped its investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell—a high-stakes standoff in which the senator ultimately prevailed.
What Happens Next
The clash over the anti-weaponization fund comes at a delicate moment for Republicans. GOP discontent over the measure caused delays in a party‑line immigration enforcement reconciliation bill.
Looking ahead, Tillis is expected to keep speaking out in his remaining time, using his position to challenge policies he views as risky for Republicans. His criticism of Trump-aligned initiatives suggests tensions within the GOP are unlikely to ease in the short term, especially as lawmakers face pressure heading into the midterms.
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