Thom Tillis turns on Trump, warns GOP bill "will hurt people"

Hours after announcing his retirement, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) blasted his party’s budget bill and criticized President Donald Trump for supporting it.

Tillis specifically critiqued the bill’s cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which could force up to 11.8 million people to lose their health insurance.

“I am telling the president that you have been misinformed,” Tillis said in a fiery Sunday night floor speech. “You supporting the Senate [bill] will hurt people who are eligible and qualified for Medicaid.”

The bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would slash trillions in discretionary spending to pay for tax cuts for rich people and big corporations. Health care changes include tightening work requirements for Medicaid, limiting how states can fund Medicaid, and allowing tax credits that help people afford private health insurance to expire.

Tillis was one of only two Senate Republicans to vote against advancing the bill on Saturday. He announced that he would not seek reelection the following day. His abrupt decision not to run again appears to be driven by political headwinds he expects if the bill becomes law.

About 3 million North Carolinians are enrolled in Medicaid, and Trump pledged multiple times not to back cuts to the program.

“What do I tell 663,000 people, in two years or three years, when President Donald Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off Medicaid?” Tillis railed. “Republicans are about to make a mistake.”

The bill is expected to pass the Senate later this week. It will then go back to the House for further revisions. Trump initially wanted to sign the bill by July 4, but that date has been pushed back to July 7.

Some Republicans are already expressing interest in running for Tillis’ seat, including Rep. Tim Moore, Rep. Richard Hudson, and ara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law.

Former Rep. Wiley Nickel is the only prominent Democrat in the race thus far. Many expect former Gov. Roy Cooper to enter the race as well.

“No matter which MAGA loyalist Donald Trump hand-picks to run in North Carolina, I’m the Democrat who’s ready to take them on and win,” Nickel said in a statement. “North Carolinians are independent-minded and won’t be fooled by extremists pushing an agenda that puts billionaires first and working families last.”

Tillis’ sudden concern about health care is a reversal. He opposed expanding Medicaid in North Carolina under the ACA and voted repeatedly to repeal the law.

The Cook Political Report, which analyzes elections, rates the race to replace Tillis as a “toss up.”