WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Sen. isn’t holding back during his final year in Washington.
鈥淚’m sick of stupid,鈥� the two-term Republican from North Carolina said from the Senate floor recently as he derided President advisers for stoking a potential U.S. military takeover in Greenland.
It was just one of several moments during the opening weeks of 2026 when Tillis, who isn’t seeking reelection, seemed unconstrained by the anxieties that weigh down many of his GOP colleagues who are loath to cross the White House for fear of triggering a political backlash.
He’s one of just two Republicans, along with Alaska Sen. , who participated in a congressional delegation to Denmark this week while Trump threatens to seize . He tariffs announced by aimed at eight European nations that have opposed U.S. control of Greenland.
He was quick to criticize the Justice Department’s . As Trump and his allies try to rewrite the history of the , Tillis of a plaque honoring police who defended the Capitol that day.
He has shown particular frustration with Trump’s top aides, notably deputy White House chief of staff .
鈥淚 don’t want some staffer telling me what my position is on something,鈥� he said after Miller gave a forceful interview on CNN saying Greenland 鈥渟hould be part of the United States.鈥�
鈥淗e made comments out of his depth,鈥� Tillis added.
A sense of freedom
The moves reflect the sense of freedom lawmakers often feel when they know they won’t have to face voters again. They’ve helped attract swarms of reporters who follow Tillis through the halls of Congress as he offers candid thoughts on news of the day. And they’ve won support from the handful of other Republicans who sometimes cross Trump, including Murkowski, who called out 鈥済ood speech!鈥� as she passed him in the Capitol following his floor remarks on Greenland.
For the 65-year-old Tillis, who has won elections in one of the most politically competitive states, the approach is notable for the way in which he’s pushing back against the White House. He’s hardly staking out a position as a never-Trumper and repeatedly 鈥� often effusively 鈥� expresses support for the president.
Rather, he’s targeting much of his criticism at senior White House aides, sometimes raising questions about whether Trump is receiving the best advice at a consequential moment in his presidency as the GOP enters a challenging election year.
鈥淚 really want this president to be very, very successful,鈥� Tillis said this week. 鈥淎nd a part of his legacy is going to be based on picking and choosing the right advice from people in his administration.鈥�
Heading into the midterms, Tillis said, 鈥淚 want to create a better environment for Republicans to win.鈥�
Tillis, who had a challenging childhood involving multiple moves, worked at an accounting and consulting firm before entering politics. He was the speaker of North Carolina’s House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. He said this week that he approaches his concerns from a business perspective.
鈥淪ometimes there’s just things that people need to say, 鈥榥ot a good idea, not in our best interest, hard to implement,’鈥� he said. 鈥淚 probably should have started by saying that鈥檚 what I did in the private sector for about 25 years.鈥�
Beyond Miller, Tillis has raised questions about Homeland Security Secretary immediate response to the fatal shooting of by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. Hours after the shooting, while an FBI investigation was still unfolding, Noem defended the officer and said Good 鈥渁ttempted to run a law enforcement officer over.鈥�
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill the next day, Tillis said he was 鈥渟urprised by the level of certainty in her comments鈥� and suggested such rhetoric influenced Trump, who was also quick to defend law enforcement.
鈥淪he’s advising the president so the president’s comments had to have come I assume through the advice of the secretary,鈥� he said.
And in his social media post criticizing Trump’s European tariffs, Tillis again blamed those around the president.
鈥淭he fact that a small handful of 鈥榓dvisors鈥� are actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid,鈥� Tillis wrote.
A balancing act on Jan. 6
Tillis’ balancing act was on particularly vivid display earlier this month on the fifth anniversary of Jan. 6, when he helped broker the deal to publicly show the plaque honoring officers that was held up by House Speaker . Speaking from the Senate floor, he called the attack 鈥渙ne of the worst days in my 11 years in the U.S. Senate.鈥�
He lauded the staff and U.S. Capitol police who defended lawmakers and helped ensure that Congress ultimately certified Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. But he also struck fiercely partisan tones, blaming Democrats for embracing a movement to defund the police and criticizing media coverage of protests that turned violent during the summer of 2020.
Tillis framed Jan. 6 as a 鈥渨onderful stress test for democracy鈥� before arguing that the Biden administration went 鈥渙verboard鈥� by prosecuting 鈥減eople who were dumb enough to walk into the building but they weren’t the leaders.鈥� He then pivoted to criticism of Trump’s sweeping pardons of Jan. 6 defendants, including those who attacked police.
But even then, he didn’t directly blame Trump, again focusing on his advisers.
鈥淭he president, on the advice of somebody in the White House 鈥� and I hope I find out the name of that person 鈥� also pardoned criminals who injured police officers and destroyed this building,鈥� Tillis said. 鈥淚f you had that happen to your office or your business, would you think well they were just a little hotheaded and let them go and not prosecute them? Or would you hold them accountable for destroying the citadel of democracy?鈥�
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Tillis’ assessment of Trump’s aides. The senator rejects any suggestion that he’s stepped up his criticism because of his impeding retirement, calling the notion 鈥渉ysterical.鈥�
His relationship with Trump hit a low point last summer when he opposed the president’s sweeping tax and spending cuts package. Trump accused Tillis of seeking publicity and said on social media that the senator was a 鈥渢alker and complainer, NOT A DOER.鈥� Tillis announced his retirement soon after voting against the measure, one of only two Senate Republicans to do so.
Trump has been more sanguine in response to Tillis’ more recent comments. Asked this week about the senator’s criticism of the Fed probe, Trump said, 鈥淭hat’s why Thom’s not going to be a senator any longer, I guess.鈥�
鈥淟ook, I like Thom Tillis,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淏ut he’s not going to be a senator any longer because of views like that.鈥�
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Associated Press writer Stephen Groves in Washington contributed to this report.
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