Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and President Donald Trump are at war over spending legislation, with Trump threatening to primary Tillis for not supporting the bill.
It turns out, Tillis put Trump on notice before the threat was made, then he announced that he would not be running for re-election.
Now, rumors are flying that Lara Trump could be returning to the political world to run for Tillis’s seat.
It now looks like Tillis may have been the aggressor in this little confrontation, putting Trump on notice before the president ever threatened to primary him.
Tillis shared a message sent to Trump about seven minutes before the president posted his message on Truth Social that he would be interviewing candidates to primary Tillis.
The text stated, “Ack Mr. President. Start thinking about my replacement.”
This takes some steam out of Trump’s attack, for sure, but it also shows the disturbing trend that if members of Congress know they are not going to support something Trump wants, their careers are basically over.
Tillis was clearly getting fed up, and he also knew that defending his seat would not be easy, so after the Trump threat, he made it official that he would not be running again.
The senator stated, “In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species.”
He concluded, “As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven’t exactly been excited about running for another term.”
D.C. has become toxic. It is no longer about representing We the People, but instead about falling in line with leadership, and if you dare to ask questions, you are eliminated. It’s that simple. We are seeing this on both sides of the aisle, and I promise you, it is not for the betterment of the country.
After Lara Trump’s stint as co-chair of the RNC, most assumed she would transition to Congress, but she decided to sit out the last cycle. However, that does not appear as though it will be the case this time.
Rumors are flying that Lara Trump will be tapped by the president to run for the seat set to be vacated by Tillis.
Operatives within the party have made it clear who is deciding who runs, with one stating, "It’s the president’s choice. The president and his team will have those conversations.”
If she runs and wins, it will be an automatic yes for all things Trump, but that is not the purpose of members of Congress. I realize I am swimming upstream here, but I firmly believe in being represented, not led, and I want to know that my opinion means something when my elected officials are deciding on what legislation to support and what to reject. I have nothing against Lara Trump, but I just want the voters of North Caroline to elect someone who will put their interests first, even above those of any sitting president.