Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has never been shy about speaking his mind, and the past few weeks have given him plenty to say.
He spoke publicly about President Trump’s comments on Greenland, the investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and how White House aides steered Trump in what he considered to be a wayward direction.
In the process, he became the leading Republican voice in opposition to the president’s actions during the final 12 months of his term.
Tillis announced in July that he would retire at the end of his term amid the debate over the “great and beautiful bill,” giving him a freedom enjoyed by few lawmakers — one that he has increasingly taken advantage of, and lawmakers have taken notice.
“He’s untethered,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) with a laugh.
Tillis insists his recent outspokenness was not a conscious decision but the consequence of what he considers reprehensible government actions. In his heart, there are many.
“The number of things on the threat matrix is huge,” Tillis said in an interview. “It adds up a little bit, but you have to react when the opportunity presents itself.”
Tillis caused uproar last week when he announced he would block any future Fed nominees following a criminal investigation into Powell by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington. His statement came less than 20 minutes after the Fed released a rare video statement from the chairman.
Tillis is a member of the powerful Senate Banking Committee, which is split 12-10 along party lines, meaning his opposition could lead to the defeat of the administration’s nominees, including potential replacements for Powell when his term ends in May.
The move earned him a mild public rebuke from Trump, who told reporters during a stop in Detroit that while he liked Tillis, there was a reason the North Carolina Republican wasn’t seeking a third term.
“That’s why he’s no longer a senator,” Trump said. “He will never serve as a senator again because of views like this.”
But Tillis was notably spared the angry phone calls from the president, who has been flooded with calls to lawmakers. The two have texted in recent weeks but have not spoken directly since late December.
While Tillis has pointed the finger at the administration, he has not specifically trained on the president. Instead, much of his criticism was directed at his No. 1 target: Trump’s top advisers.
“I firmly believe that a lot of the time we see things executed poorly not because of the ‘what’ was a bad idea, but because of the ‘how’ that was terrible,” Tillis said. “People don’t look around” and consider the situation in Greenland a “classic example”.
Tillis drew attention in Washington earlier this month when he named Stephen Miller, one of Trump’s top White House advisers, in a speech. Miller said on CNN a few days ago that “nobody is going to fight militarily with the United States over Greenland” and that it “obviously” should be part of the United States
“I’m tired of stupidity,” the North Carolina Republican declared.
Tillis traveled to Denmark on Thursday with five other lawmakers as part of a “pacification” mission to Greenland.
Republican lawmakers have come to expect this level of outspokenness from the outgoing senator, who caused a stir last summer by publicly criticizing and ultimately voting against the “great and beautiful bill.”
“When you announce you’re not running for re-election, you probably have a little more latitude. Tom … has been very outspoken and willing to take on big issues,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). “That hasn’t changed.”
“I think now [he] Views his role … as an opportunity to be very transparent about his thoughts and make an impact in his final year here,” Thune continued, adding that Tillis “has been a [an] Independent thinker. “
Still, some recent moves have raised eyebrows among members and aides.
A senior Republican aide noted that Tillis has taken the stage several times since the beginning of the year to deliver speeches that were largely “improvised and emotionally driven.”
Among the headlines were a speech about the administration’s actions against Greenland — separate from his speech condemning Miller — and one supporting the Democratic push for a plaque to commemorate the police officers who protected the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Notably, neither set of speeches had a podium or visible prepared remarks.
Some on Capitol Hill believe some of his actions have been detrimental to Senate Republicans and that his outspokenness has done dozens of his colleagues no favors.
“He’s burned a lot of bridges between his colleagues and the party. He’s been negative on everything we want to do,” said another senior Republican aide, referring to his sabotage of the latest cryptocurrency market structure bill. “He trampled on information, but he also trampled on policy. He offered no help.”
Others disputed that, saying they didn’t think his recent actions were alarming.
“His responses could have been quicker and sharper,” one Senate Republican acknowledged. “I didn’t see any flashing lights.”
Lawmakers were also quick to note that Tillis appeared more liberal without the burden of re-election — something Tillis readily acknowledged.
Asked if he had any regrets or reconsiderations about declining a third term, he didn’t think about it.
“Oh, no. No,” Tillis said with a laugh, adding that Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told him he looked like a different person when the two recently returned to Washington.
“He said, “You look like this– Refreshing” Tillis said.
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), a member of the Republican leadership, told The Hill that Tillis has publicly said he and his wife are looking forward to “controlling my clock.”
“He talks a lot about coming home,” Lankford said.
Still, Tillis said he doesn’t believe he’s speaking only for himself when he publicly expresses his displeasure.
“I’ll leave that up to other members, but I believe … I think it might be helpful to have a lot of people trust me to say what I said,” he said. “I haven’t seen a lot of people come out and criticize me.”
“I feel like I can go a step further than I’ve advised others to take and give them some space to think about how to try to help this president,” Tillis said. “By being honest, speaking truth to power and calling out those who are making bad suggestions.”
Whether this will cause problems for the leadership remains to be seen. As Thun said, there is still sand in the hourglass.
“I don’t see that,” he said when asked if he was worried about Tillis being a hindrance to the conference. “But we’ve still got a year.”
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