On Sunday, December 15, North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis criticized MAGA Republicans as “political opportunists” after several promised to fund campaigns for challengers to Republican senators who oppose any of Trump’s cabinet picks.
In an interview on Fox News, Tillis bashed his fellow conservative senators for threatening their colleagues’ future campaigns. “We’re not even in the new administration,” he said. “We haven’t even seen the background checks, which I know the administration is sending our way. So there’s a lot of information that needs to be gathered, and these folks who are making primary challenges, running ads, they seem more like political opportunists to me than thoughtful members of the Republican Party.”
Among those making such threats is Elon Musk, who spent over $250 million to fund Trump’s campaign. Musk mentioned that he would also support republican challenges to GOP senators who vote against Trump’s nominees. Musk has already promised to support a competitor of South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds after he questioned Trump’s selection of Kash Patel to lead the FBI.
“Those who oppose reform will lose their primary/election. Period,” Musk wrote on Twitter.
One of the main concerns many have over the threats is Trump’s overt blind support without even considering the background checks of his picks. Tillis, who doesn’t believe any of the threats are coming from Trump, fears that they will cause doubt in the minds of Americans who may question whether Trump’s cabinet appointees are approved through their merit or due to the fear of sitting senators.
“Here’s what I would tell them,” Tillis said. “If they really support President Trump’s nominees, they would stand down and let the nominees win on their own merits, and I think most of them will.”
