President Donald Trump launched a sharp rebuke of Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina on Saturday night, slamming the Republican lawmaker for opposing his sweeping tax-and-spending proposal, as a crucial procedural vote in the Senate stalled and GOP leadership scrambled to lock down support.
“Looks like Senator Thom Tillis, as usual, wants to tell the Nation that he’s giving them a 68% Tax Increase, as opposed to the Biggest Tax Cut in American History!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, as Senate leaders struggled for hours without concluding a vote to advance the massive bill.
Trump touted the bill’s benefits in his post, writing, “America wants Reduced Taxes, including NO TAX ON TIPS, NO TAX ON OVERTIME, AND NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY, Interest Deductions on Cars, Border Security, a Strong Military, and a Bill which is GREAT for our Farmers, Manufacturers and, Employment, in general.”
He continued by singling out Tillis: “Thom Tillis is making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!”
The post came shortly after Tillis officially voted no on the Senate floor, casting a blow to the bill that Trump has urged Republicans in both chambers to fast-track before his self-imposed July 4 deadline.
While the vote remains open and unresolved, two other GOP senators—Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rand Paul of Kentucky—have also withheld support during the rare Saturday night session. Still, Trump chose to direct his fury solely at the North Carolina senator.
With a narrow 53-47 majority, Republicans have very little room for defections. Losing more than three votes would tank the bill unless Vice President JD Vance steps in with a tie-breaking vote. Vance arrived on Capitol Hill at approximately 8:30 p.m. and has remained on standby, ready to act if necessary.
Should the bill clear this hurdle, it would head into the debate phase—a potentially lengthy process, as Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer has vowed to demand a full reading of the nearly 1,000-page legislation before any final vote is taken.
Earlier in the day, Trump warned Republicans that a vote against the bill would amount to the “ultimate betrayal.”
The proposed legislation seeks to lock in Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanently, eliminate federal taxes on tips and overtime pay, significantly boost funding for border enforcement, and repeal clean-energy tax breaks enacted under the Biden administration. To accommodate all its provisions, the bill would require raising the debt ceiling by an estimated $5 trillion.
Tillis had previously signaled his opposition to the current draft, citing concerns over the Medicaid provisions. He has insisted that unless revisions are made to align with what he called a more “commonsense” version from the House, he could not support the package. “We can and must do better than this,” Tillis said in a statement.
In a follow-up Truth Social post, Trump warned that he may back a primary challenger to Tillis in response to his defiance.
“Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against ‘Senator Thom’ Tillis,” Trump wrote.
“I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

{Matzav.com}