Official portrait of U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC)

Thom Tillis Confronted on The View Over Trump Votes as Memoir Hits Shelves

October 5, 2026

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) spent Monday morning trading barbs with the cohosts of ABC’s “The View” as his blunt new memoir, “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents,” officially hit bookstores. The retiring North Carolina Republican defended his support for President Donald Trump while conceding that cohost Ana Navarro had a point about his inconsistent voting record on the president’s nominees.

The quick take: Thom Tillis appeared on “The View” on October 6, 2026, to promote his memoir “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents,” released the same day. Hosts pressed him on why he voted to confirm Trump nominees he himself called unqualified in the book, including Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem. Tillis stood by Trump as “an amazing political talent” while admitting Navarro’s criticism stung.

What happened during the Tillis interview on The View?

The two-segment interview turned combative almost immediately. Moderator Whoopi Goldberg opened by noting that the book “certainly lives up to its title,” then asked Tillis how he could criticize Trump — even calling him a “snowflake” in the book — while still supporting him. “What am I missing?” Goldberg asked.

Tillis, 66, responded that Trump had “won two national elections” and described him as a remarkable political force who built coalitions in North Carolina that Tillis himself could never reach. “He’s got people that voted for him in North Carolina that wouldn’t have voted for me under any circumstances,” Tillis said. “He resonates with people.”

Why did Ana Navarro clash with Tillis?

The sharpest exchange came from cohost Ana Navarro, who accused Tillis of saying one thing in his book and doing another in the Senate. “I like you, and I think you say a lot of truth, but you kind of break my heart,” Navarro said. “You go through all of the reasons why Hegseth was unqualified. You go through all of the reasons why [Kristi] Noem was unqualified… and yet you voted for them.”

Tillis conceded the inconsistency, saying both sentiments remained true. Navarro then pressed him on his more recent vote to confirm Todd Blanche, a nomination Tillis himself had objected to in the book over what he described as a bogus investigation. “So you know you’re voting for people who are rubber stamped and unqualified, but you keep doing it, Thom!” Navarro said.

Tillis defended the Blanche vote by arguing that “in politics, you’ve got to play the hand that’s dealt you,” insisting Blanche was the best fit “to try and give the president honest upward feedback.” Navarro rejected that outright, and the exchange ended with the cohosts unconvinced.

What is Tillis’s new book about?

“How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents: The Trouble with Sycophants, Courage Outsourcing, and Partisan Group Think” is a 224-page memoir published by Broadside Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. The book, released Tuesday, October 6, 2026, chronicles Tillis’s 12 years in the Senate and his often rocky relationship with Trump and the Republican Party.

Early excerpts published by the Center Square describe a memoir packed with profanity-laced private messages, including a text Tillis sent directly to Trump: “I still want to help but I don’t take this [profanity] from anyone, including you Mr. President.” The book also revisits Tillis’s decision in June 2025 to walk away from a third term after voting against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and drawing a primary threat from Trump.

What did Tillis say on 60 Minutes?

A day before the book’s release, Tillis sat down with Ross Douthat for a “60 Minutes” segment that aired Sunday, October 4. In the interview, Tillis discussed the Trump advisers he holds responsible for undermining the president’s second term, the dysfunction he sees in the modern Senate, and how his North Carolina upbringing shaped his political outlook.

Tillis announced in June 2025 that he would not seek reelection, making him one of the most high-profile moderate Republicans to step aside as the party continues to realign around Trump. His North Carolina seat is considered one of the most competitive races in the 2026 midterms.

FAQ

When was Thom Tillis’s book released?

“How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents” was released on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, by Broadside Books.

Why did Thom Tillis retire from the Senate?

Tillis announced in June 2025 that he would not seek a third term, after voting against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and facing a primary threat backed by Trump. He said he was no longer excited about running for another term.

What did Ana Navarro say to Thom Tillis on The View?

Navarro accused Tillis of inconsistency, noting that his book calls Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem unqualified while he voted to confirm both. “You keep doing it, Thom!” she said, also pressing him on his vote for Todd Blanche.

Did Tillis criticize Trump in the book?

Yes. The memoir is sharply critical of Trump and his advisers, including profanity-laden texts Tillis sent to the president. But Tillis still describes Trump as an “amazing political talent” and continues to support him publicly.