Thom Tillis
ON THE RECORD · 24 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“Dan was the right man at the right moment to lead our Soldiers and Army civilians,”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-05
Tillis praised Dan Driscoll after Driscoll's resignation as army secretary.
“I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country,”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-05
Tillis urged Trump to fire Hegseth, criticizing his management of the military on social media.
“He is intimidated by competence and retreats to ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defense and the health and wellbeing of our fighting force.”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-05
Tillis wrote on social media that Hegseth is intimidated by competence and retreats to culture wars.
“Our understanding and assumptions of warfare are being challenged in places like Ukraine and Iran, and Dan [Driscoll] understands the old way of doing business no longer applies,”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-09-02 · reported 2026-09-02
Tillis contrasted Hegseth unfavourably with former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, citing evolving forms of warfare in Ukraine and Iran.
“If we had a Secretary of Defense who maintained the same priorities and forward-thinking, he would be fighting to retain talented leaders like Dan and the many flag officers he has forced into retirement. Instead, he is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks,”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-09-02 · reported 2026-09-02
Tillis implied that Driscoll's departure resulted from Hegseth's mismanagement, accusing him of creating a leadership void in the military.
“I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country. He is intimidated by competence and retreats to ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defense and the health and well-being of our fighting force,”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-09-02 · reported 2026-09-02
Tillis criticized Hegseth's management of the military in a social media post amid the ongoing war with Iran.
“I urge the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it.”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-09-02 · reported 2026-09-02
Tillis called on President Trump to replace Hegseth with a new leader at the Pentagon.
“has been forthright, thoughtful and patient”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-31
Tillis said Blanche has been forthright, thoughtful and patient during the negotiations.
“The President made it clear today that the so-called Anti Weaponization Fund is still alive, which is exactly why we are attempting to formally end it,”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-07-31 · reported 2026-07-31
Tillis said after Trump's social media post that the senators are attempting to formally end the fund.
“The criminals who assaulted police officers and defiled our nation’s Capitol are not ‘great American patriots’ who are ‘victims of government abuse,’”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-31
Tillis pushed back on Trump's characterization of Jan. 6 rioters as patriots and victims of government abuse.
“trying to fulfill the commitment he made in the hearing”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-07-30 · reported 2026-07-30
Tillis told reporters he believed Blanche was trying to honor his hearing commitments but that someone was blocking him.
“What I’m focused on is the main thing, and the main thing is the 1776 fund needs to go away, or they’re going to hang this yoke around our candidates’ necks, and rightly so,”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-30
Tillis said his focus is on eliminating the 1776 fund to avoid it burdening Republican candidates.
“gold to mine between now and the election.”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-30
Tillis argued Trump's move would give journalists and Democrats ammunition ahead of the election.
“I believe the only logical conclusion I can draw from this setback is that, in fact, there is somebody who wants to enable it at the right time,”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-30
Tillis concluded that someone wants to enable the anti-weaponization fund provisions at the right time.
“it’s all on him.”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-30
Tillis said Trump could gamble on the Senate confirmation process once he and Cornyn leave office.
“Todd Blanche is negotiating in good faith, but it’s clear that the approval to get this done is above his pay grade, and we just need to get to that pay grade,”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-07-30 · reported 2026-07-30
Tillis said Blanche was negotiating in good faith but that approval authority was above his level.
“I don’t believe it’s the president. I got to get to finance guys.”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-07-30 · reported 2026-07-30
Tillis said he did not believe the president was the obstacle and that he needed to reach the finance officials.
“about as politically tone deaf a posture as I have seen in this administration.”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-30
Tillis criticized Trump's proposal to temporarily withdraw Blanche's nomination.
“they do a pretty good job of passing stuff when the president says pass it,”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-07-15 · reported 2026-07-15
Tillis quipped about the House's ability to pass legislation when the president demands it.
“I have to have absolute certainty that 1776 fund cannot rear its ugly head,”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-07-15 · reported 2026-07-15
Tillis told CNN after Blanche's testimony that he needs certainty the anti-weaponization fund cannot be revived.
“For God’s sake, let’s not try and be more vicious and weaponize more things. Let’s do it on a rational basis that the American people really want. These American people don’t like weaponization and they don’t like chaos, and we got a little bit of both now that we need to get rid of before November,”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-07-15 · reported 2026-07-15
Tillis urged against further weaponization and called for a more rational approach ahead of November.
“if the president endorses it, that’s good enough for me. I’ll take him for his word. If the House doesn’t deliver, then that suggests to me if we can get something out of here with UC (unanimous consent), then they got some work to do.”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-07-15 · reported 2026-07-15
Tillis responded to questions about whether he could vote for Blanche if the House does not pass a bill killing the anti-weaponization fund.
“anything that trips my wire, the Ed Martin wire, on J6,”
Thom Tillis · said 2026-07-15 · reported 2026-07-15
Tillis told reporters he hasn't seen anything in Blanche that triggers his concerns about January 6 downplaying.
“The only way to fund the government is to get at least seven Democrats to vote with us at the end of September or we could go into a shutdown,”
Thom Tillis · said date not stated · reported 2025-07-17
Sen. Thom Tillis stressed the necessity of bipartisan cooperation to fund the government and avert a shutdown.