60 Minutes Transcript: Sen. Thom Tillis
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis says he worries about the "outsized influence" of the executive branch. He's also concerned about the types of advisers President Trump has surrounded himself with.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican senator from North Carolina, has been navigating a delicate balance as an effective senator in the age of President Donald Trump. He votes like a reliable Republican while criticizing many administration officials and insisting he merely wants to help the president succeed. At 66, Tillis is preparing to leave the Senate after crossing the White House too many times.
Tillis is known for his rapid movements on Capitol Hill, familiarizing himself with every passageway, staircase, and underground corridor. When reporters approach, he delivers soundbites that often reflect his disagreements with the White House. For instance, he dismissed the idea that senators understand artificial intelligence (A.I.), stating that many lawmakers cannot even spell it.
One of the key moments in Tillis's relationship with President Trump was his vote against the One Big Beautiful Bill, which aimed to reduce Medicaid benefits for low-income North Carolinians. The president called Tillis a "talker and complainer, not a doer." In response, Tillis announced his intention to retire from the Senate, writing an unfiltered book titled "How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents."
In his book, Tillis takes aim at some of Trump's Cabinet nominees, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. He argues that these individuals were chosen due to their similarity to characters in "Central Casting" rather than their qualifications. Tillis also criticized Noem's decision to spend $200 million on an ad campaign featuring her riding a horse and her characterization of some individuals as "domestic terrorists."
Despite his disagreements with the Trump administration, Tillis maintains a respectful relationship with the president. He acknowledges that they have an "odd relationship," with Tillis having made the president angry at times. When threatened with a primary challenger, Tillis decided to retire instead of facing a potential challenger.
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