President Donald Trump had harsh words for Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) after he indicated that he would not support the confirmation of acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche for the full-time role unless he sufficiently condemns the January 6 protests.
Tillis’s position is significant because the Judiciary Committee’s narrow partisan balance means his vote could determine whether Blanche’s nomination advances.
“The key for Todd or for anybody going through the Judiciary Committee is being pretty tight on January the 6th. They better not have said for one minute that the people who beat up police officers, like these right down here, were righteous people,” the senator pontificated. “You come even close to saying that, you don’t have a [chance] of getting my vote in Judiciary.”
He has also referenced the proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, which aims to compensate individuals who claim they were unfairly targeted by the Justice Department. Tillis indicated that resolving such matters would improve prospects for confirmation.
In response, President Donald Trump bluntly addressed Tillis’ position during remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One. “Senator Tillis is a loser. He didn’t run because I wouldn’t support him. He’s just an angry man because he’s not going to be a senator any longer,” the president said.
“He wasn’t respected in the Senate. He fought a lot of people. He was forced to leave the Senate because I wouldn’t support him and he quit, so now he’s trying to make trouble by opposing anyone,” he added. Trump further described acting Attorney General Blanche as “a brilliant guy who everybody likes and everybody respects.”
🚨 BOOM! President Trump mic drops RINO Sen. THOM TILLIS after learning Tillis will block Todd Blanche as Attorney General because of Jan. 6th
“Senator Tillis is a LOSER. That’s why he didn’t run! He’s just an angry man because he’s not going to be a senator any longer. He… pic.twitter.com/CHtJlFceZR
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 5, 2026
Tillis is retiring at the end of his current term and has a record of differing with Trump on a number of issues, which has increased since announcing his retirement last year. In his first term, he initially opposed Trump’s 2019 national emergency declaration to fund border wall construction, citing concerns about executive overreach, before later supporting it.
More recently, he has voted against certain Trump administration priorities, including measures related to the anti-weaponization fund and other spending proposals. He has also publicly criticized aspects of the administration’s staffing and policy execution.
The senator’s opposition to Todd Blanche could prove decisive, as Tillis sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee must first vote to advance Blanche’s nomination to a floor vote, meaning that Tillis could ultimately block the nomination from going to the floor.
