Latest news with #SenatorThomTillis
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump threatens to support a primary challenger against GOP senator for opposing 'big, beautiful bill'
President Donald Trump on Saturday said he is looking for a GOP candidate to mount a primary challenge against Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., after the lawmaker announced he would not support the president's "big, beautiful bill." "Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against 'Senator Thom' Tillis," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America," he continued. "Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Tillis, who is up for re-election in 2026, came out against Trump's spending bill earlier on Saturday over concerns about deep cuts to Medicaid. Key Gop Senator Defects On Crucial Vote, Imperiling Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' In Narrow Majority The senator vowed not to support the measure through a procedural hurdle needed to kick off a marathon of debate and amendment voting that would eventually lead to a vote on the measure's final passage. Read On The Fox News App As he was leaving the Senate GOP's closed-door lunch on Saturday, the North Carolina lawmaker said he has a "great relationship" with his colleagues, but that he could not support the colossal bill. "We just have a disagreement," he said. "And, you know, my colleagues have done the analysis, and they're comfortable with the impact on their states. I respect their choice. It's not a good impact in my state, so I'm not going to vote on the motion to proceed." The Senate cleared the hurdle late Saturday to start debate on the bill by a 51-49 vote. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was another Republican who joined Tillis in voting no. "Did Rand Paul Vote 'NO' again tonight? What's wrong with this guy???" Trump wrote on Truth Social. Senate Republicans hold a slim 53-47 majority and can only afford to lose three votes. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said earlier that she would help advance the bill through the first step, but was leaning against voting to pass the bill's final passage unless the legislation was "further changed." Collins and other initial GOP holdouts, Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., voted to at least advance the legislation through the first key procedural hurdle. Senate Republicans Ram Through Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Through Key Test Vote The latest version of the bill pushed back the provider rate crackdown by one year and also added another $25 billion for a rural hospital stabilization fund over the next five years. During a closed-door lunch earlier this week, Tillis reportedly warned that North Carolina could lose as much as $40 billion in Medicaid funding if the changes were codified. He is also planning to unveil further analysis on the impact of Medicaid cuts on his state that he said no one in the "administration or in this building" has been able to refute. "The president and I have talked, and I just told him that, 'Look, if this works for the country, that's great. And if my other colleagues have done extensive research and concluded it's different in their states, I respect that,'" he said. "We just have a disagreement based on the implementation in our respective states." Fox News' Alex Miller contributed to this article source: Trump threatens to support a primary challenger against GOP senator for opposing 'big, beautiful bill'
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump threatens backing primary challenge against GOP Sen. Thom Tillis over his 'big, beautiful bill' vote
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday attacked Sen. Thom Tillis for opposing the party's sweeping domestic policy bill, threatening to meet with potential primary challengers to the North Carolina Republican. Tillis, who faces re-election next year in a battleground state, was one of two Republicans, along with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, to vote against advancing the "big, beautiful bill" in the Senate Saturday evening. "Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against 'Senator Thom' Tillis," Trump wrote Saturday night. "I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America." Trump' social media criticism came hours after Tillis said in a statement that he "cannot support this bill in its current form," pointing to expected cuts to Medicaid he said would "result in tens of billions of dollars in lost funding for North Carolina, including our hospitals and rural communities." Trump accused the two-term senator of grandstanding "in order to get some publicity for himself, for a possible, but very difficult re-election." "Looks like Senator Thom Tillis, as usual, wants to tell the Nation that he's giving them a 68% Tax Increase, as [he is] opposed to the Biggest Tax Cut in American History!," Trump wrote, adding, "Thom Tillis is making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!" Tillis is one of Democrats' top targets for defeat in the 2026 midterm elections. He won his previous two Senate races by fewer than two percentage points. Prior to Trump's post, Tillis told reporters Saturday evening that he gave the president a heads up about his opposition during a call he characterized as "very professional" and "very respectful." 'I had a very good discussion with President Trump last night. I told him at that point that I had problems with the [Medicaid] implementation. And I said the House bill, I think, would be a good mark,' Tillis said. 'I do believe the president is really focused on getting the tax portion of the bill done, and I support that, full stop. But it has evolved from a tax bill to one that includes health care and other things. And I said that in non-tax areas, we have a problem.' Asked if he was concerned about Trump endorsing a primary challenge to him, Tillis responded, 'No.' Trump has threatened to primary GOP lawmakers critical of him in the past, wielding his influence to unseat Republicans who voted to impeach him after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including then-Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. Last week, two Trump advisers launched a super PAC aimed at removing Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., another frequent critic of the administration's agenda. But Trump hasn't always followed through on the threats. For example, he stood down on a threat to back a primary challenger to Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., who endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis's 2-24 presidential bid. This article was originally published on
