Someone who makes deals and checks the White House – without becoming a political martyr or an ex-Republican?
asserted
who → make → House
This is the tightrope that Thom Tillis, the senior senator from North Carolina, has been walking for the last two years.
asserted
Tillis → walk → years
He votes like a reliable Republican while talking and maneuvering like a maverick.
asserted
He → vote → maverick
He's a caustic critic of many administration officials, all while insisting he just wants to help the president succeed.
asserted
president → insist → officials
But now Tillis is heading for the exits, at the sprightly-for-a senator age of 66, after crossing the White House one too many times.
asserted
Tillis → head → House
As his party faces a potential midterm wipeout, we talked to him about his high wire act, his relationship with President Trump, and whether it's possible to make the Senate great again.
asserted
Senate → face → Trump
Keeping up with Thom Tillis on Capitol Hill is not for the faint of heart.
asserted
Keeping → keep → heart
He knows the U.S. Capitol inside out: the passageways, staircases, the Capitol subway system, and miles of underground corridors that connect Senators' offices to the Capitol itself.
asserted
that → know → Capitol
When reporters manage to interpose themselves, they know they can rely on Tillis for a soundbite:
asserted
they → manage → soundbite
Reporter: Do you think that Senators even understand A.I.?
asserted
Senators → think → A.I.
A lot of them can't spell it.
asserted
lot → spell → it
They just don't have the experience.
asserted
They → have → experience
Sometimes those soundbites reflect his beefs with the White House, an escalating series of fights that culminated when Tillis announced he was voting "no" on the One Big Beautiful Bill, arguing it would push too many low income North Carolinians off Medicaid.
asserted
it → reflect → Medicaid
In response, the president called Tillis "a talker and complainer, not a doer."
asserted
president → call → Tillis
I still feel like we have an odd relationship, where I've clearly made him angry.
asserted
him → feel → relationship
But it took years before he even made the first negative comment about me.
asserted
he → take → me
But I react to anybody on this earth the same way.
asserted
I → react → earth
If you come at me with what I think is unfair or incorrect data I'm going to come back after you.
asserted
I → come → you
The president threatened to find a primary challenger to run against Tillis.
asserted
president → threaten → Tillis
The senator announced that he would be
.
asserted
he → announce → ?
Instead of fighting for his seat, Tillis has written an unfiltered, profanity-laced book.
asserted
Tillis → fight → book
The title sounds like it's taking aim at President Trump.
asserted
it → sound → Trump
It's a little take on Dale Carnegie, but it's "How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents."
asserted
it → lose → Presidents
Sen. Thom Tillis: Well, I mean, the more recent one.
asserted
I → mean → ?
But I did a good job of antagonizing Biden and a little bit with Obama back in the day.
asserted
I → do → day
But the cover doesn't feature President Trump.
asserted
cover → feature → Trump
Instead, it features unflattering photos of some of Tillis' least favorite administration officials.
asserted
it → feature → officials
It should be noted that he voted to confirm all of Trump's Cabinet nominees – including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, a vote he now calls his "biggest regret."
asserted
he → note → Hegseth
Do you hold him responsible for the struggle in the
War?
asserted
him → hold → War
Because you've said that you supported the initial decision to go to war.
asserted
you → say → war
I'm glad the president went in.
asserted
president → go → ?
You know, I think that they got so caught up after the immense success of the first strike that Hegseth probably didn't listen to his best military advice and say, "Now we should probably move to a different posture."
asserted
we → know → posture
He's calling for Hegseth to resign.
asserted
Hegseth → call → ?
It is not the first time he's gone after big game in Trump's Cabinet.
asserted
he → go → Cabinet
Earlier this year, he helped speed Kristi Noem's departure, when the deportation campaign in Minneapolis led to the deaths of two American citizens — Renee Good and Alex Peretti — at the hands of federal agents.
asserted
campaign → speed → agents
Sen. Tillis (during Noem hearing): The fact that you can't admit to a mistake which looks like under investigation is going to prove that Miss Good and Mr. Pretti probably should not have been shot in the face, and in the back!
asserted
Good → admit → back
But when I'm angry, I believe there's a reason behind it, and people should listen.
asserted
people → believe → it
What were you thinking then?
asserted
you → think → What
What had gone wrong with her tenure?
asserted
What → go → tenure
I was thinking about the $200 million that the Department of Homeland Security was spending on an ad campaign with her riding a horse.
asserted
her → think → horse
…and 96 more, not listed.
The Aporia
