Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is again pressing President Trump to dismiss three senior administration officials, intensifying his public break with the White House as the retiring lawmaker continues to criticize his own party's leadership.
During an appearance on Stephen A. Smith's SiriusXM show Wednesday, Tillis said Trump should part ways with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., arguing that each "presents no cost-benefit" to the president's agenda.
"They're costing us more than they are benefiting us," Tillis said. "None of this is personal to me, Stephen. I've fired my best friend, and I would fire them if I were the president."
Tillis has repeatedly criticized administration officials this year, accusing them of steering Trump toward poor decisions. In March, he said he admires aspects of the president but not the "bad advice" and "bad execution" that he believes is undermining the Republican agenda.
The North Carolina senator's latest comments come as the GOP prepares for what could be significant losses in the upcoming midterm elections, now less than two weeks away. Recent polling shows Trump's approval at record lows, and nonpartisan forecasters like Decision Desk HQ project Democrats are positioned to win back the Senate.
Tillis said his frustration is not aimed at Trump personally but at the people surrounding him. He compared the president to a CEO, suggesting that if Trump removed the "worst performing" officials, his second term could take a more positive turn.
"He just needs to get some of these people out of there, and we will see a different trajectory, particularly if you have people that will invest in a relationship with Congress for people like me who want to help him," Tillis said.
The senator's remarks echo a broader tension within the GOP as some lawmakers worry about the political fallout from controversial administration moves, including recent policy reversals on Ukraine and other flashpoints. Tillis has also been vocal about the need for competent governance, a theme he has sounded even as allies of the president escalate attacks on the media.
Tillis insisted his motivation is to protect the Republican Party and the presidency, not to defend Trump as an individual. "I want him to have a good legacy," Tillis said. "It's not about Donald J. Trump, I don't know the guy well enough to go to the mat for the man. I'm going to the mat for the office and the fact that he's a Republican."
His comments have drawn attention from political observers, especially given his retirement and the ongoing intra-party battles over the direction of the GOP. Some see Tillis's stance as a signal of growing unease among establishment Republicans about the influence of hard-line advisers like Miller and the performance of key cabinet members.
Defense Secretary Hegseth has faced scrutiny over his management style, including an incident in which staff members damaged a historic globe during an office move, while Kennedy has been a polarizing figure in health policy. Tillis's call for their removal is likely to further strain his relationship with the White House, but he shows no sign of backing down.
