Trump challenges Tillis to keep defying him: 'Weak and ineffective' – WCIV
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by RAY LEWIS | The National News Desk
HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — President Donald Trump is challenging Senator Thom Tillis, the North Carolina Republican, to continue defying him as the midterm elections approach.
Less than six months out from a cycle that could reshape congressional control, Trump said in a Friday social media post that the “weak and ineffective” lawmaker will have little effect on the GOP’s long-term strength.
“The media said how brave he was to take me on, but he wasn’t brave, he was just the opposite – HE WAS A QUITTER!” the president wrote on Truth Social. “Now he can have all the fun he wants for a few months, with some of his RINO friends, screwing the Republican Party. In the end it will only get bigger, and better, and stronger, than ever before!!!”
Tillis has broken with Trump and many of his Republican colleagues since announcing the end of his Senate career last year. The lawmaker's obstruction of presidential nominees, his vote against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and his willingness to criticize Trump’s most controversial actions have drawn the ire of the White House.
Tillis rejected the president’s assertion that he has been a “nitpicker,” writing in a response to Trump’s post that some of the administration’s policies contradict traditional conservative positions.
“If opposing these things makes me a RINO, then I gladly accept that nickname,” the senator said on X, referencing the “Republican in name only” criticism made by right-wingers. “We need Republicans to do well in November, but the stupid stuff is killing our chances!”
Trump’s priorities may continue harming the GOP’s ability to retain control of the Senate. The party out of power has historically performed better during midterm elections, and the president’s insistence on continuing the war in Iran has grown increasingly unpopular among voters.
More than six in 10 Americans said in a poll this past weekend that they disapprove of Trump’s handling of the conflict, contributing to a low approval rating that has hovered around 40%. The survey, conducted by The Associated Press and research firm NORC, also found low support for the president’s economic agenda, which has been disrupted by the war.
“The president’s unpopular decision to attack Iran, which led to a wider and longer war than he expected, has done nothing to ease the public’s sense that the president’s priorities are not aligned with theirs,” William Galston, chair of The Brookings Institution’s governance studies department, said in an analysis late last month. “And his perceived lack of focus on kitchen table issues may explain why, for the first time since 2010, Democrats are more trusted than Republicans to handle the economy.”
Do you have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.
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