Senator Thom Tillis releases memoir detailing political regrets

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis is releasing a memoir titled ‘How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents: The Trouble with Sycophants, Courage Outsourcing, and Partisan Group Think’ on Tuesday. The 224-page book provides insight into his decision to not seek a third term in June 2025 and details his complex relationship with President Donald Trump.

In the book, Tillis describes his vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as the ‘biggest regret of my career’ and expresses that he should have prevented Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from becoming Health and Human Services secretary. He explains that he initially avoided being a ‘lone voice in the wilderness’ against Trump’s nominees to protect his political career, noting that many GOP colleagues shared similar private reservations.

Tillis characterizes his friction with the administration as being directed toward the president’s staff rather than Trump himself, whom he calls ‘an amazing political talent.’ The memoir includes candid text exchanges, including one instance where Tillis told the president he would not tolerate certain behavior, stating, ‘I still want to help but I don’t take this b------- from anyone, including you Mr. President.’