Trump's 'Beautiful' effect? Thom Tillis exits from Congress; what this reveals about fate of GOP moderates
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced Sunday that he would not seek re-election in 2026, a day after voting against the 'Big Beautiful Bill' backed by US President Donald Trump.
The 64-year-old is the latest in a series of Senate moderates to step aside in recent years.
"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," Tillis said in a statement posted on X.
Trump, meanwhile, remarked Tillis' exit as a "great news" and said, "For all cost cutting Republicans, of which I am one, REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected.
Don't go too crazy! We will make it all up, times 10, with GROWTH, more than ever before."
Does the exit reflect a wider issue?
For moderates in the GOP, Tillis' retirement underscores a stark reality -- breaking with Trump can mean political isolation or an early exit. Trump loyalists wasted no time framing Tillis' decision as a victory. 'Don't Cross Trump,' declared Jason Miller, a top Trump adviser, signaling that defiance of the president comes at a steep price.
"He received 77.3 million votes, 312 electoral votes, and he overwhelmingly won the popular vote. The voters gave him a mandate to implement a specific agenda, and they want everyone to get behind his efforts!" Miler said.
Tillis, who often tried to balance loyalty to Trump with his own policy convictions, found himself repeatedly squeezed. From his skepticism about Trump's defense secretary pick to his votes on domestic policy, Tillis increasingly became a target for Trump's ire, and potential primary challengers.
His final months in office, as he hinted, may be his freest, as he no longer faces the constraints of re-election politics.
"I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability," he said in the statement.
Does Tillis' exit ultimately signal that the GOP's center is hollowing out? As moderates retreat or are forced out, Trump's grip on the party tightens, leaving little room for dissent or the kind of bipartisan deal-making that once defined Senate veterans like Tillis. The 2026 elections will likely show just how far that transformation has gone.
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