Retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) becomes the latest lawmaker to announce a forthcoming book — but this one will take aim at his own party and President Donald Trump.
“How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents” will explore how a group of “grifting sycophants and useful idiots” have impacted the second Trump administration, according to a new summary from his publisher released Thursday.
Tillis has clashed publicly with the president and members of his administration, particularly after Trump effectively forced him into retirement. In an interview with MS NOW on Thursday, Tillis said those individuals — whom he dubs as “MAGATS” in his book — “are not giving the president honest advice and putting us in positions that we could avoid.”
“I’m talking about people who have never worked a day in business, who now have business strategy, decision-making roles, and they’re simply not looking around corners and taking care of this president,” Tillis said. “Those are the people I want to expose in this book.”
Tillis has publicly criticized members of Trump’s administration including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth; the Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought; onetime acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte; and Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller. His most recent break with the president was his refusal to confirm acting Attorney General Todd Blanche until he agreed to eliminate Trump’s $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.
But Tillis, who announced last year he would not seek reelection after serving two terms in the upper chamber, emphasized on Thursday that he hopes to help Republicans maintain their slim majority.
“I want Republicans to win in November. That’s why I’m speaking out,” said Tillis. “ I’m here for the American people, not to score points with Stephen Miller, Pete Hegseth or these other folks who I think are giving the president bad advice.”
His book — a play on the famous “How to Win Friends and Influence People” — will be released Oct. 6, ahead of the midterms.
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