Profane Trump Text Messages
Retiring GOP Senator Thom Tillis Publishes Profane Text Messages Exchanged With Donald Trump
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Key Points
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Tillis’ May 22 message appeared to answer a same-day Truth Social post in which Trump called him “weak and ineffective” and a “Nitpicker.”
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Tillis had previously supported parts of Trump’s agenda, particularly on immigration and border security, and defended Trump during his criminal cases, calling the Manhattan prosecution politically motivated and saying it “doesn’t pass the smell test.”
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In May, Tillis said he would not support Pam Bondi in committee or on the Senate floor over her equivocation about people who harmed police officers; in August, he backed her after she ordered the rescission of Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, which Jan. 6 rioters were expected to seek compensation from.
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When announcing he would not seek reelection, Tillis said independent thinkers in Washington had become “an endangered species.”
Retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina is publishing profanity-laced text messages to President Donald Trump in his forthcoming book, "How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents." HuffPost reports that in May, Tillis told Trump he would not accept the president's "bullshit" and feared the administration was failing. The messages reveal a sharp rupture between the two Republicans over policy disputes and Trump's public criticism of the senator.
The exchanges underscore Tillis' shifting stance toward Trump. While the senator previously supported Trump's immigration agenda and defended him during criminal cases, he broke ranks over tax legislation and other issues. Daily Mail reports that Tillis announced he would not seek reelection in 2025, calling independent thinkers in Washington "an endangered species."
May Texts Follow Trump's Public Attacks
Tillis' May 22 message appeared to respond directly to a Truth Social post where Trump called him "weak and ineffective" and a "Nitpicker," according to al.com. In the text, Tillis said he wanted to help Trump but would not tolerate what he viewed as unacceptable behavior. The senator's blunt language marked an unusual moment of public defiance from a sitting Republican senator toward a sitting Republican president.
Tillis Disputes Trump's Account of Their Conflict
In a June message, Tillis rejected Trump's version of events. PennLive reports Tillis stated Trump had never personally threatened him with a primary challenge. The senator claimed that if Trump had made such a threat directly, he would have "immediately told" Trump to leave him alone. This contradiction highlights the disconnect between what Trump claimed publicly and what Tillis says actually occurred in their private exchanges.
From Trump Ally to Critic Over Policy Disputes
Tillis previously backed Trump on major issues. He defended Trump's Manhattan prosecution as "politically motivated" and strongly supported Trump's immigration and border security agenda. However, he opposed Trump's tax-and-spending legislation. In May, Tillis refused to support Pam Bondi, Trump's nominee, over her stance on those who harmed police officers. By August, after Bondi rescinded Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund for January 6 participants, Tillis reversed course and backed her nomination.
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