Tillis Tears Into GOP Colleagues Over Support Of SAVE America Act

Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis tore into his GOP colleagues over their support for the SAVE America Act.

Tillis’s 15-paragraph message to fellow Republicans reportedly opened on a cordial note, wishing senators some rest after another vote-a-rama, before quickly criticizing GOP colleagues over their support for the SAVE America Act in a copy of the message obtained by the Daily Caller.

SCOOP: Sen. Tillis sent a 15-paragraph screed to GOP senators calling them out for opposing his bid to kill the weaponization fund & continuing to push SAVE Act, arguing it’s bad for in-cycle R’s

Tillis then laid into Tuberville — and made it personal.https://t.co/dSou3H1I9F

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) June 9, 2026

But it quickly turned into a pointed critique of the proceedings, particularly votes tied to the SAVE Act and the 1776 Fund (colloquially known as the Anti-Weaponization Fund), which he argued could create “political headwinds” for Republicans heading into the midterm elections. (RELATED: Sen Thom Tillis, A Key Holdout Against Trump’s Fed Nominee, Backs Down, Says He’ll Vote To Confirm)

“Instead, we added weight to that albatross by having 41 members vote to protect the program. In addition, we allowed two SAVE Act votes that had no place in vote-a-rama, which prompted a circular firing squad led by Tommy Tuberville and some of our Republican colleagues,” Tillis wrote.

The North Carolina senator said he did not understand why a supermajority of Republicans opposed his amendment, which he said was offered at the request of members in competitive races. He explained it would have eliminated the 1776 payout fund while redirecting $1.7 billion to a fraud prevention initiative.

🚨 JUST IN: Sen. Thom Rillis (R-NC) reportedly SCOLDED Senate Republicans in a lengthy letter for pushing the SAVE America Act and floor votes, saying it’s BAD for Republicans in the midterms — Punchbowl

THIS GUY IS A TOTAL TRAITOR!!

We have our own party OBSTRUCTING SAVE…

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 9, 2026

He argued senators who opposed the measure over concerns it could jeopardize reconciliation privilege were “misinformed or a victim of groupthink,” adding they should have applied the same reasoning to the SAVE Act because “had either version of the SAVE Act been adopted, the underlying bill would also have been at risk of losing privilege.”

Tillis also warned that Democrats could have strategically supported the measure and then used it to challenge the bill’s privilege, and criticized leadership for forcing repeated SAVE Act votes that put vulnerable members in difficult political positions heading into the election cycle.

He said he expected most Democrats to oppose his amendment due to DOJ/fraud funding, but still offered it as a compromise vehicle for members to air concerns about the 1776 Fund, noting he had checked in advance with Democrats and knew it would not pass or threaten the underlying bill. (RELATED: Here’s How The Anti-Weaponization Fund Will Really Work — And Who It Could Help)

Citing a June 4 X post from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Tillis highlighted a message in which Tuberville wrote, “It was beyond EMBARRASSING that ‘Republicans’ continue to block the SAVE America Act @SenThomTillis, @LisaMurkowski, @SenMcConnell, and @SenatorCollins have not only betrayed their constituents – they are ACCOMPLICES in Democrats’ ‘Illegals First’ agenda. The people of North Carolina, Alaska, Kentucky, and Maine deserve better.”

It is beyond EMBARRASSING that “Republicans” continue to block the SAVE America Act.
@SenThomTillis, @LisaMurkowski, @SenMcConnell, and @SenatorCollins have not only betrayed their constituents — they are ACCOMPLICES in Democrats’ “Illegals First” agenda.

The people of North… https://t.co/X4W7r5F02E

— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) June 5, 2026

Tillis then criticized Tuberville’s team, calling it “remarkable on several levels,” and pointing in particular to the fact that a member of Tommy’s communications team has a spouse working with National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) leadership—raising questions, he suggested, about whether anyone is considering how these intraparty attacks “are only helpful to Susan’s opponent,” and whether “these people talk” internally.

A spokesperson for Tuberville confirmed the authenticity of Tillis’s message when contacted by the Caller and defended the senator’s position, saying, “Yes, it is true. Senator Tuberville stands by every word of his tweet and thinks senators should be accountable for their votes.”

Tillis said Republicans advanced SAVE Act votes even though “everyone knew the SAVE Act votes would fail,” arguing they did so at the President’s request and “at the expense of our members.” He said the result “simply prompted more attacks on our own,” which he suggested may have been Trump’s point.

He also pointed to earlier pressure on vulnerable senators during the Schumer amendment on the 1776 Fund and motion to commit, noting that he and Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy voted against it to give in-cycle members more flexibility. Afterward, he said he told vulnerable members he would vote however a majority of them wanted, effectively offering his “proxy for the night.”

Tillis argued that forcing votes with “no upside for in-cycle members” and then attacking colleagues for those votes undermines efforts to hold the majority. (RELATED: Senate Passes Major Immigration Enforcement Bill After Weaponization Fund Threw Wrench In Process)

He concluded that last week’s reconciliation process was “a net loss for in-cycle members,” warning that while DHS funding is important, the “gain will not offset the pain” in key races, and urging Republicans to avoid further “unforced errors” heading into November.

Tillis’s is not seeking re-election and is set to retire at the end of his term on January 3, 2027.

The Daily Caller reached out to Tillis’s office for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.