Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina has publicly stated that his deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary in January 2025 represents the "biggest regret" of his political career, according to his forthcoming book "How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents," scheduled for publication October 14, 2026. Tillis made the admission during multiple recent media appearances, including interviews on NBC News' "Meet the Press," CBS News, and Bill Maher's "Real Time."
Tillis told Maher that he "f*cked up" on the Hegseth confirmation vote, acknowledging that he had reservations about the nominee's qualifications and the allegations surrounding his management style, treatment of women, and excessive drinking. Despite these concerns, Tillis voted to confirm Hegseth, along with other Trump administration nominees including Secretary of State Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In his book, Tillis also states he "should've stopped" Kennedy Jr. from assuming his HHS position.
When pressed by Maher about the discrepancy between his public "maverick" persona and his voting record, Tillis explained that he had voted unanimously out of the Senate Armed Services Committee but later came to regret the confirmation. "Now I'm telling you, I f*cked up and he needs to go," he told Maher. Tillis also characterized Hegseth as "just out of his depth" in his role as the nation's top military official.
In his book, Tillis defends his initial decision to not be "the lone voice in the wilderness" blocking Trump's nominees, but makes clear he now believes he erred in judgment. He claims he can identify at least 30 Republican colleagues who have privately expressed reservations—"to put it mildly"—about many of the president's actions, though these same Republicans publicly support Trump's initiatives when cameras and microphones are present. Tillis writes, "I know for a fact that there are others like me, Republicans who agreed to go along with the early demands of the Trump team no matter how ridiculous they were, believing that failing to do so would mean the end of their political career."
Tillis has increasingly distanced himself from Trump in recent months, having announced last year that he would not seek reelection, which he characterized as a "breaking point" with the president over his sweeping tax and spending cuts proposals. With reduced political pressure, he has become more vocal in his criticism of the Trump administration. In his book, Tillis criticizes Trump's tariffs, the aggressive immigration raids he says were meant to "intentionally sow disorder," and the Iran war. However, he continues to describe Trump as "an amazing political talent" while directing much of his criticism toward "the idiots" working for the president rather than Trump himself.
Tillis also criticized Pentagon plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009. Tillis said he supports Hasan's execution but called the livestreaming plan "bullsh*t" and expressed shock that Hegseth "hasn't asked to be one of the shooters on the firing squad." He warned against what he termed performative actions and said the decision to livestream must be reversed.
The senator also predicted a "bloodbath" for Republicans in November's midterm elections. He cautioned his colleagues that they have had "multiple chances to get off the path" and should "wake up" and push back more forcefully on Trump, arguing that unchecked executive overreach ultimately backfires on the majority party. Tillis is completing his final months in the Senate before his term ends.
