The president is losing track of his enemies.
Trump, 79, claimed to the press during an Oval Office meeting on Friday that sitting U.S. Senator Thom Tillis’s opposition to his new Federal Reserve Chair pick was the reason the North Carolina Republican was “no longer a senator.”
“That kind of thinking is why he’s no longer a senator,” said Trump, in response to a question from a reporter about Tillis’s repeated promise to block any Trump nominee.
Trump claimed Tillis is “no longer a senator,” though he appeared to mean Tillis is leaving office when his term ends next January. The president acknowledged that Tillis, 65, could hold up the confirmation of his Fed Chair nominee, Kevin Warsh, until 2027.
Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, serves on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, which must vote to advance Warsh’s nomination to the Senate. Tillis signaled he will oppose Warsh’s nomination, leaving the committee deadlocked.
“He’s going to be out of office, which is too bad,” Trump continued to reporters, after signing an executive order to bring an IndyCar race to the streets of Washington, D.C. “I always liked him, but he did some things that were not smart. If he doesn’t approve, we will have to wait until someone comes in that will approve.”
Tillis, a more moderate Republican, announced in June that he would not seek reelection in 2026 after he voted against Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
“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 at the time.
Since announcing his retirement, Tillis has become one of Trump’s most outspoken GOP critics. He been quick to slam top members of the Trump administration, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Tillis’s opposition to Warsh is not through any fault of the 55-year-old financier, however. Tillis has vowed not to oppose any Fed Chair nominee until the Trump administration’s investigation into current Fed Chair Jerome Powell is resolved.
Earlier this month, the Department of Justice opened a criminal probe into Powell on accusations of impropriety in the Fed’s renovation of its Washington, D.C. headquarters. Powell and others believe the probe is another example of Trump weaponizing the DOJ against his political enemies. Trump has long raged at Powell for his reluctance to cut federal interest rates.
Tillis reiterated that position in a statement on Friday.
“Kevin Warsh is a qualified nominee with a deep understanding of monetary policy. However, the Department of Justice continues to pursue a criminal investigation into Chairman Jerome Powell based on committee testimony that no reasonable person could construe as possessing criminal intent,” said Tillis.
“Protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve from political interference or legal intimidation is non-negotiable.”
The White House reiterated its eagerness to get Warsh confirmed. Spokesperson Kush Desai told The Daily Beast, “Kevin Warsh’s academic credentials, private sector success, and prior experience on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors make him eminently qualified to serve as the next Fed Chairman. The White House looks forward to working with the Senate to quickly confirm him and get the Federal Reserve back on track.”
Tillis’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has long contended that cutting federal interest rates would help boost the economy, an issue that’s significantly damaging the GOP’s chances of maintaining its slim congressional advantages heading into the 2026 midterms.
If Tillis refuses to confirm Warsh until the end of his term, Warsh won’t get a chance to implement Trump’s favored economic strategy until after the election.
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