30 Republican Senators Fear Trump.. Tillis Warns: Their Days Are Numbered

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Republican Senator from North Carolina Tom Tillis revealed that at least 30 Republican senators have expressed reservations about several actions taken by President Donald Trump, but they prefer to voice these concerns in private for fear of being targeted politically by the president, at which point "their days would be numbered."

Tillis wrote in his new book "How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents" that Republican members of the Senate are concerned about Trump's policies, but they hesitate to confront him publicly for fear that the president will support challengers against them in the primaries.

Tillis, who is preparing to leave the Senate after a series of disagreements with the White House, stated that this fear undermines Congress's ability to fulfill its constitutional role in overseeing the executive branch. The 66-year-old senator warned that the continued absence of checks on power could lead the United States to a situation he described as: "We will become a kind of dictatorial king if we are not careful."

Tillis criticized those he described as "sycophants" surrounding Trump, arguing that members of Congress, regardless of their party affiliation, have repeatedly made the mistake of granting the White House broad powers during successive administrations. He said: "I want nothing but checks and balances. I want the three branches to perform their individual roles and continue to oversee power as they have for 250 years." He added that Americans, due to the long-standing success of their democratic system, may find it difficult to realize "how quickly they could lose everything."

Tillis says his concerns about the expansion of executive power are not limited to the Trump administration, noting that presidents, in his view, have become more reliant on executive orders instead of dealing with Congress as a co-equal constitutional branch of government. His relationship with Trump had clearly deteriorated after he opposed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" in June 2025, stating that the law could lead to a significant loss of health coverage for many low-income individuals in North Carolina under the "Medicaid" program.

Trump responded at the time by describing Tillis as "all talk and complaints and not a decision-maker," threatening to support a challenger against him in the primary elections, before Tillis decided not to run for another term. Although Tillis voted to confirm all of Trump's nominees in his administration, he said that his vote for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth represents his "biggest regret."

Tillis also harshly criticized Kristi Noem during a Senate session, before Trump dismissed her days later. He placed Noem and Hegseth among the officials he believes "should not have been given the power they were granted." Tillis also addressed the events of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, describing the attack as "disgusting," but clarified that he refused to condemn Trump during his second impeachment trial, considering the impeachment proceedings rushed and politicized. Regarding the possibility of a similar reaction to the events of January 6 if Trump-backed candidates lose in the midterm elections, Tillis said, "I think there is a risk. I really believe that."

He also predicted that Republicans would face a tough midterm election, given the pressures related to the cost of living, considering that the fear of many party members of facing the White House publicly has made them avoid expressing their objections.

Tillis said about his Republican colleagues who fear Trump's targeting: "They don't want to bear the weight of the president. I understand that. Are you up for re-election? He will target you in the primaries."