A Republican senator is warning that a bad night for Republicans in the November midterms could create a serious problem for the country. And his warning is aimed squarely at Donald Trump.
During an interview Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” correspondent Ross Douthat asked Sen. Thom Tillis whether he had concerns about how Trump might react if Republicans suffer a major defeat — particularly given Tillis’ criticism of Trump’s conduct surrounding Jan. 6.
Tillis didn’t dodge the question.
“I think there’s a risk,” he said. “I really do.”
Then he added: “It would be another political unforced error if we do that.”
Tillis did not spell out exactly what he thinks Trump might do. But the question came during a broader discussion about Jan. 6 and Trump’s handling of the 2020 election aftermath.
Tillis was blunt about what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s election victory.
“It was the first time in the history of this country that we had not had a completely peaceful transfer of power on that day, and that was despicable,” Tillis said.
“The people that led the charge, the people that assaulted police officers, I wish they were still in prison and serving a very long sentence,” he added. “I found it disgusting.”
But Douthat then pointed out the obvious complication: Tillis didn’t vote to convict Trump in the impeachment trial that followed the Capitol attack.
Tillis defended that decision, saying he believed the impeachment process had been rushed and that he opposed using it simply to prevent Trump from running again.
Still, Tillis has become one of the more outspoken Republican critics of Trump while preparing to leave the Senate in January.
The relationship has deteriorated considerably since Tillis opposed Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” after which Trump called him a “talker and complainer, not a doer” and threatened to support a primary challenger. Tillis ultimately announced he would not seek reelection.
Now Tillis is warning about what could happen after the midterms.
He has already described the Republican outlook as an “electoral bloodbath,” pointing to affordability concerns and the reluctance of Republican senators to challenge the White House publicly.
And his concerns go beyond one election.
Asked what worries him about the current concentration of presidential power, Tillis warned that the executive branch could use its influence to threaten lawmakers in primary elections and undermine their independence.
“Then we become a one-institution country,” he said. “I mean, we will have a sort of dictator king if we’re not careful.”
Watch the clip below:
Sen. Thom Tillis calls the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, “despicable” and “disgusting.”
“The people that led the charge, the people that assaulted police officers, I wish they were still in prison and serving a very long sentence,” he says. https://t.co/92N7Q3CdlX https://t.co/UdSsxuCuZP
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) October 5, 2026
