Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) fired back at President Trump on Monday, warning that he would not tolerate the same treatment after Trump leaked a fellow Republican's phone number on social media over the weekend.
"With all due respect, I got his number too," Tillis told the hosts of ABC's "The View." The remark came days after Trump posted Sen. Tom Cotton's (R-Ark.) phone number on Truth Social, urging supporters to call the Arkansas senator and pressure him to support a bill making daylight saving time permanent.
Tillis, who is retiring at the end of his term, appeared on the show to promote his new book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents, which includes private text exchanges between him and Trump. The senator said he was "not at all" concerned about potential retaliation from the president over the book's contents.
"We could dedicate a whole show to me, the bookends of overreach and vindictive prosecutions, et cetera," Tillis said. "For people to forget about their party's overreach puts that party in peril in the next election. That's my whole point."
The feud highlights growing fractures within the GOP as Trump continues to target Republicans who oppose his agenda. The doxxing of Cotton has rattled Senate Republicans, many of whom privately worry about the precedent it sets.
Tillis also reflected on his vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling it the "biggest regret" of his congressional career. When pressed by host Alyssa Farah Griffin about the new House resolution to impeach Hegseth, introduced by ousted GOP Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Tillis said he was unsure if it would succeed but added, "I hope he gets fired."
Despite his criticisms, Tillis praised Trump as a "great political force" and acknowledged his ability to "pull together coalitions." However, he warned that the president's support among key voting blocs, particularly Hispanic voters, has eroded. A recent NBC News and Telemundo survey found that 59% of Hispanic voters prefer Democrats for the November elections, compared to 35% who favor Republicans—a demographic that was crucial to Trump's 2024 victory.
"The support among Hispanics has almost evaporated," Tillis said. "So the very coalitions that the president was able to pull together are falling apart."
The president's approval ratings remain at record lows, and the GOP faces an uphill battle in the midterms. Trump's recent actions, including his doxxing of Cotton, have only deepened concerns about his impact on the party's electoral prospects.
