(NewsNation) — Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis has announced he will not be seeking reelection to the Senate next year.
His departure comes as he clashed with President Donald Trump over the “big, beautiful bill.” Tillis, a strong opponent of the bill, said those who support it are “making a mistake” and betraying their promises to their constituents.
“He is just wrong,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing Monday. “The president and the vast majority of Republicans who are supportive of this legislation are right.”
Trump shares handwritten note to Powell: ‘You have cost the USA A Fortune’
Trump expressed a lot of anger over Tillis’ opposition to the bill; Tillis is one of two Republicans in Congress to oppose it. In multiple posts on Truth Social, Trump accused Tillis of grandstanding and also said he was making a mistake for not supporting the bill. Trump also threatened to primary Tillis despite his announcement not to run for reelection.
Tillis told NewsNation his disagreement with the president did not influence his decision to leave the Senate.
“I’d already told the president that he needs to start looking for replacements before that came out,” Tillis said.
CBO says tax piece of GOP megabill could violate Senate Byrd Rule
When asked about what he’s doing to stop the bill, Tillis said he’s “done what he’s going to do” and told his staff that he was standing firm in his decision to oppose the bill.
Tillis’ departure will likely shake up the Senate race in 2026 for North Carolina, a battleground state Trump won in the 2024 presidential election. Former North Carolina Rep. Wiley Nickel, a Democrat, said in a statement that he is the only one running on the Democratic ticket and could beat any “MAGA Loyalist” Trump decides to back in the race.
Other names that are rumored to be considering running in the 2026 Senate race include former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law; and former Republican National Committee co-chair Mark Robinson.
