Sen. Thom Tillis Warns Of Executive 'Outsized Influence,' Urges Congress To Reclaim Its Authority

As he prepares to leave the Senate, Sen. Thom Tillis delivers a pointed critique of the growing power of the executive branch and the advisers surrounding President Donald Trump, calling many of them "sycophants" and urging Congress to reassert its role as a coequal branch of government.

Concerns About Executive Overreach

The 66-year-old North Carolina senator details what he calls the "WTF moments" of the second Trump administration in his new book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents. Having served in the Senate during the administrations of Barack Obama, Donald Trump (twice) and Joe Biden, Tillis says he is increasingly alarmed by an erosion of checks and balances as the executive branch has grown more assertive.

Sen. Thom Tillis / Credit: 60 Minutes

"We will have a sort of dictator king if we're not careful," Tillis warns.

Tillis argues that recent presidents have relied heavily on executive orders and other unilateral tools, and that both parties have been guilty of empowering the White House when their own party controls it. "We always make the mistake when our guy's in office of conveying power to the White House," he said. "And I've had a real problem with that because it almost always comes back to bite you."

Clashes With The White House

Tillis says his decision to leave Washington followed a series of increasingly public clashes with the Trump White House. The tipping point came in June 2025, when he announced he would oppose the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, arguing the legislation would push many low-income North Carolinians off Medicaid. The president publicly derided Tillis as "a talker and complainer, not a doer," and threatened to back a primary challenger. Rather than wage a bruising primary fight, Tillis opted to retire.

Sen. Thom Tillis shows Ross Douthat a Jan. 6, 2021, plaque honoring the Capitol police. / Credit: 60 Minutes

He acknowledges an uneasy relationship with the president—"I respect the president. I still feel like we have an odd relationship, where I've clearly made him angry," he said—and included profanity-laced private texts with Trump in his forthcoming book; those exchanges leaked before publication.

Criticism Of Advisers And Cabinet Officials

While Tillis says he wants the president to succeed, he is sharply critical of many of the people around him. He called Department of Homeland Security adviser Kristi Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "poster children" for officials who should not have the authority they were granted. In March, Tillis gave a blistering critique of Noem over comments related to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti; two days after that hearing the president fired her.

Sen. Thom Tillis sits in his office. / Credit: 60 Minutes

Tillis says he voted to confirm all of President Trump's cabinet nominees early in the administration—a decision he now calls his "biggest regret." He also criticizes Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller for failures to "look around corners" on key issues.

Democracy, Jan. 6, And The Impeachment Vote

Tillis remains unequivocal in his condemnation of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, calling the assault on the peaceful transfer of power "despicable." Nevertheless, when the Senate held the second impeachment trial after Trump had left office, Tillis voted not to convict, arguing the process was rushed and overly politicized. "Cheapening the impeachment process to prevent somebody from running in the future, I just don't buy it," he said.

Asked whether a Jan. 6–style reaction could recur if Trump-backed candidates lose future elections, Tillis expressed concern: "I think there's a risk. I really do."

Outlook For Republicans And Congress

Tillis warns Republicans may be headed for an "electoral bloodbath" in upcoming midterms as voters focus on affordability and everyday pocketbook issues. He also argues that many Republican senators privately have reservations about the president's actions but are reluctant to speak publicly for fear of political retaliation. "They don't want to bear the weight of the president... You're up for reelection? He'll target you in a primary," he said.

In his book, Tillis urges his colleagues to stop deferring power to the executive and to reassert Congress's constitutional role as a check on presidential authority—warning that complacency risks eroding a democratic system that has endured for more than two centuries.