Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) has revealed that voting to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was the “biggest regret” of his congressional career.
The admission appears in Tillis’s forthcoming memoir, titled “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents,” which is set to hit shelves this week.
Tillis writes that he was skeptical of allegations surrounding Hegseth’s treatment of women, management style, and excessive drinking but chose not to be “the lone voice in the wilderness.”
Despite previously telling The Hill in July 2025 that he did not regret the decision, Tillis has since offered a far harsher assessment of Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon.
“The president referred to Pete Hegseth as right out of Central Casting — and I agree with that: He’s an actor. He’s not a manager,” Tillis said, delivering one of his sharpest public rebukes of the defense secretary.
Tillis argued that Hegseth has “not demonstrated any knowledge of the Department of Defense,” pointing to the secretary’s continued focus on service members’ physical appearance and grooming rather than operational readiness.
“With the passing of time, I think it’s clear he’s out of his depth as a manager of a large, complex organization,” Tillis said, adding, “I don’t think his probationary period has been very positive.”
Earlier this year, Tillis told The Hill that Hegseth had “lost my confidence,” saying bluntly, “I don’t have any confidence in him anymore. He’s all over the place.”
Last month, Tillis went further by backing an impeachment resolution against Hegseth, telling reporters, “He needs to go, whether it’s impeachment or the most expedient route — just the president to replace him — would be great.”
In the memoir, Tillis also writes that he should have opposed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as health secretary, and claims at least 30 Republican colleagues have privately expressed reservations about President Donald Trump’s actions while publicly supporting him.
Tillis criticizes Trump’s tariffs, aggressive immigration raids he says were designed to “intentionally sow disorder,” and the Iran war, which he initially supported before souring on.
The senator, who will not seek re-election and is leaving Congress at the end of his term, expressed mounting concern over the balance of power in Washington.
“We will have a sort of dictator king if we’re not careful,” Tillis warned, signaling that his break with the administration runs far deeper than a single confirmation vote.
