Trump Signals Potential Primary Challenge to GOP Senator Thom Tillis Over ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Support

President Donald Trump recently criticized Senator Thom Tillis for his opposition to a major domestic policy bill, suggesting he might meet with potential primary challengers to the North Carolina Republican. Tillis, facing re-election in a key state next year, was one of only two Republicans to vote against advancing the bill in the Senate. In a post on social media, Trump stated that many individuals had expressed interest in challenging Tillis during the primary. He emphasized his intent to find someone who would represent the interests of North Carolinians and the broader United States effectively.

Trump’s comments followed Tillis’s statement in which he announced his inability to support the bill in its current form. Tillis cited concerns over cuts to Medicaid, warning that this could lead to billions in lost funding for critical services in North Carolina. Trump accused Tillis of seeking publicity at the expense of the party’s goals and labeled his actions a mistake for both the state and the nation. He suggested that Tillis’s opposition would result in significant tax increases rather than supporting what he described as the largest tax cut in American history.

Tillis, a target for Democrats in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, has previously won his Senate races by narrow margins. He conveyed that he had discussed his concerns with Trump in a professional manner prior to the social media backlash, affirming his support for the tax elements of the bill but expressing reservations about its health care provisions. When asked if he feared a primary challenge from Trump, Tillis remained unfazed. Trump’s history includes threatening GOP lawmakers who dissent from his agenda, but he has sometimes refrained from acting on these threats, exemplified by his decision not to support a primary challenger against certain Republican representatives.