Tillis Runs To Russia Hoaxer Tapper For Retirement Pity Party
the article criticizes Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) following his announcement that he will not seek reelection. It highlights his recent interview with CNN’s Jake tapper, portraying it as an attempt to present himself as a principled conservative despite repeated betrayals of GOP voters and support for bipartisan measures that some view as harmful, such as certain gun control laws and the Respect for Marriage Act. Tillis admits to being called a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) but reframes it as being a “Republican In Need of Outcomes,” claiming his legislative work is meaningful. The piece argues that Tillis has been a reliable part of the Washington establishment, supporting spending bills that increase executive power, contradicting his portrayal as a defender of the legislative branch. Ultimately, the article suggests Tillis’s retirement is overdue and views his final tenure as frustrating for conservatives.
What has two feet, betrays conservatives, and becomes more useless by the day? If you answered, “Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.,” you’re correct.
Days after announcing that he would not be seeking reelection next year, North Carolina’s senior senator did what any “principled” Republican would do: He went running to do an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper. The same Jake Tapper, mind you, who infamously pushed the Russia collusion hoax, the Brett Kavanaugh rape hoax, the Charlottesville “fine people” hoax, and leftist lawfare — and who also spent the past few months downplaying his role in helping cover up Joe Biden’s mental decline.
The roughly half-hour sit-down discussion covered a wide range of topics, including Tillis’ decision to retire, his vote against the recently passed reconciliation package, and the future of the Republican Party. It also included remarks from the senator on his potential replacement, Pete Hegseth’s performance as defense secretary, and the Jan. 6, 2021, demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol.
What’s fairly evident is that the purpose of the entire retirement pity party is to paint Tillis as a victim of a system that no longer values “bipartisan” work. In other words, it attempts to justify his repeated betrayals of GOP voters on key issues while at the same time presenting him as — in Tapper’s words — a “very conservative” individual.
This charade could not have been more obvious during the exchange on criticisms Tillis has faced from conservatives, who have often referred to the senator as a “Republican In Name Only,” or RINO.
“When people call you a RINO … even though you are obviously very conservative, though willing to work with Democrats and also willing to stand up for the legislative branch, what do you make of that criticism?” Tapper asked.
“I tell them, ‘I agree I’m a RINO,’” Tillis replied. “I’ve just got a different take on it. I’m a ‘Republican In Need of Outcomes.’ And the thing that most of these so-called ‘true conservatives’ have in common — whether they’re elected or party leaders — [is] they’ve never legislated. They haven’t scratched the surface of what I’ve been responsible for, for real meaningful Second Amendment bills, for property rights reform, for pro-life movements.”
By “meaningful Second Amendment bills,” is Tillis referring to the 2022 gun control package he supported that included “vague language” about “dating partners” and “red flag laws”? If so, exactly how is infringing upon Americans’ Second Amendment rights considered a good thing?
More to the point, how does “bipartisan” legislation he supported — like the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” — “meaningfully” help Americans who have already been victimized by radical LGBT activists weaponizing the legal system against them for their religious beliefs? Or bills shelling out endless amounts of U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund the Russia-Ukraine forever war?
Of course, Tillis didn’t bother to address those concerns. Nor did Tapper bother to ask about them.
[READ: Jake Tapper Is Paid Millions A Year To Not Know The News]
Tillis’ complete lack of self-reflection was also evident during a similar exchange on, as described by Tapper, “the difficulties of being a Republican in this era.” Speaking of the legislative branch, Tillis fancied himself as an “institutionalist” who’s willing to “defend the Article I branch and to collaborate with the Article II branch” on matters of policy.
Similar to his ignorance over the consequences of his “bipartisanship,” Tillis fails (or chooses not) to see that his Senate career has been defined by his willingness to further the D.C. status quo. For years, he’s acted as a reliable cog in the Washington machine, helping pump out bloated spending bills that have further empowered the growing influence of the executive he now seemingly laments.
So yes, Tillis is an institutionalist — just not in the way that he thinks.
For all his aggrievements with the state of modern American politics, what his little therapy session with CNN’s chief hoax correspondent shows is that Tillis has every intention of being a gigantic pain in the rear for conservatives on his way out the door. For North Carolinians and Americans writ large, his exit from politics cannot come soon enough.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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