Politics
JUST IN: Thom Tillis Turns On Trump, Announces Opposition To Key Nominee Over J6
U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) has pulled his support of President Donald Trump’s nominee to head up the Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney’s Office, citing the candidate’s past statements about the January 6, 2021, breach at the Capitol in a move that has MAGA fans fuming.
Tillis, who is up for reelection in 2026, told reporters beneath the Capitol on Tuesday that he will vote to oppose Ed Martin, who is currently serving as the acting U.S. attorney and was relying on the North Carolina Republican to push him over unanimous opposition by Democrats as well as a handful of moderate Republicans. The decision is almost certainly a deadly blow to his nomination.
The White House was informed of his decision on Monday, Tillis said.
“I met with Mr. Martin. He seems like a good man. Most of my concerns related to January 6th,” he added, saying Martin “built a compelling case” that some of the J6 prosecutions were poorly made.
“Where we probably have a difference is I think anybody that breaks the perimeter should’ve been imprisoned for some period of time, whether there’s 30 days or three years is debatable, but I have no tolerance for anybody who entered the building on January the 6th.”
Martin was a linchpin in the Trump administration’s efforts to unwind the prosecution and sentences for hundreds of J6 defendants who were set free almost immediately after the president took office, fulfilling a pledge he made after many faced prison sentences, with the longest stretching almost 20 years.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the loss of Tillis’s support means Martin’s nomination will almost certainly not advance from the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it is likely deadlocked 11-11, Politico reported.
Trump appears to be personally invested in Martin’s nomination, posting on Truth Social Monday, “Ed is coming up on the deadline for Voting and, if approved, HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN.”
His appointment as acting attorney expires May 20.
Thune may still try to advance Martin without a vote of the Judiciary Committee, but on the Senate floor he would face bigger hurdles in the form of GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Curtis (R-UT), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), all of whom are votes to watch.
Asked about Martin’s prospects Tuesday, Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) replied, “I want the president’s nominees to be successful, and that means we put on [the committee agenda] people who have the votes.”
Tillis’ opposition, Grassley added, “isn’t the end of it, but that’s where we are right now.”
The 2026 cycle is expected to be a good one for Republicans, but Tillis is struggling to straddle the desires of an increasingly liberal North Carolina electorate while still appealing to a Republican base that remains deeply conservative. In January, he drew his first primary challenger: Andy Nilsson, a retired businessman and former candidate for lieutenant governor.
