Sen. Tillis Rebukes Trump

Politico Playbook published private text messages between retiring North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and President Donald Trump that Tillis sent in May and June. The feud intensified after Tillis announced in June that he would not seek reelection after opposing Trump’s sweeping tax-and-spending bill, especially its Medicaid provisions. Tillis had also clashed with Trump over nominee Todd Blanche and later criticized other Trump-aligned actions after retiring. In a June 6 text, Tillis denied Trump had directly threatened him with a primary challenge and said he would have told Trump to “f--- yourself.” The messages are tied to Tillis’s forthcoming memoir. Trump’s replies remain unknown.