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President Donald Trump on Saturday publicly rebuked Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) for voting against advancing the GOP’s massive budget package — the “Big Beautiful Bill” — and signaled he may support a primary challenger to the two-term senator in next year’s election.
“Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against ‘Senator Thom’ Tillis,” Trump wrote on social media. “I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America.”
Tillis was one of only two Senate Republicans, along with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), to vote against advancing the bill on Saturday. In a statement, Tillis said he couldn’t support the legislation “in its current form” due to projected deep cuts to Medicaid that he warned would disproportionately harm North Carolina — especially rural hospitals and communities.
“I had a very good discussion with President Trump last night,” Tillis told reporters after the vote. “I told him at that point that I had problems with the Medicaid implementation.”
But Trump was less than satisfied, calling Tillis’s opposition “a BIG MISTAKE for America,” and accusing the senator of undermining what Trump calls “the Biggest Tax Cut in American History.”
Tillis Stands Alone in Key Swing State
Tillis, first elected in 2014 and narrowly re-elected in 2020, is viewed as one of the most vulnerable Senate Republicans heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats are expected to aggressively target his seat in a state Trump carried twice — albeit by shrinking margins.
“Looks like Senator Thom Tillis, as usual, wants to tell the Nation that he’s giving them a 68% Tax Increase,” Trump claimed in his post, without elaborating.
Tillis, however, emphasized that he supports the tax portion of the bill “full stop,” but criticized the health care provisions as going beyond what Trump originally proposed. He expressed preference for the House version of the legislation, which has less aggressive Medicaid cuts and fewer changes to eligibility for food assistance.
Trump’s Pattern of Threats Against GOP Critics
Trump’s threat follows a familiar pattern: using his political clout to try to unseat Republicans who oppose or criticize him. He successfully backed primary challengers against high-profile detractors like Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) after the January 6 Capitol riot and recently supported efforts to oust Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a libertarian-leaning Republican who has clashed with the Trump administration.
But Trump hasn’t always followed through. He notably backed off from supporting a challenger to Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), who endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 presidential race.
When asked whether he was concerned about Trump supporting a primary challenger, Tillis said simply:
“No.”
What’s in the “Big Beautiful Bill”?
The nearly 940-page budget package combines $3.8 trillion in tax cuts with major spending changes, including:
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Deep Medicaid and food stamp cuts, with new work requirements
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Over $350 billion for border enforcement and mass deportations
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Removal of green energy tax credits
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Creation of Trump-branded children’s savings accounts
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New funding for military projects and the Artemis moon mission
Senate Republicans are scrambling to resolve internal disputes as they race to meet Trump’s July 4 deadline for delivering the bill to his desk.
Tillis’ defection underscores growing fissures in the GOP, particularly over the impact of Medicaid cuts on red-state constituents.
“We have to do this the right way,” Tillis said. “We can’t pass a bill that devastates access to care in our rural communities just to hit a deadline.”
The final fate of the bill — and Tillis’ political future — now hang in the balance.
