Sen. Thom Tillis says that, without checks on power, "we will have a sort of dictator king if we're not careful"

Key Points:

• Sen. Thom Tillis criticizes President Trump's advisers as "sycophants" and urges Congress to assert its role as a co-equal branch to check executive power, warning of risks of authoritarianism.
• In his new book, Tillis highlights the escalating trend across four administrations of presidents bypassing Congress through executive orders, emphasizing the need to preserve the nation's system of checks and balances.
• Tillis, a conservative senator from North Carolina, decided to retire after clashes with Trump, notably opposing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act due to its impact on Medicaid recipients, which led to Trump threatening to support a primary challenger against him.
• Despite supporting Trump's cabinet nominees initially, Tillis now regrets some confirmations and openly criticizes key figures like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Advisor Kristi Noem for their handling of critical issues.
• Tillis warns of potential unrest if Trump-backed candidates lose in the midterms, predicting a significant Republican electoral defeat and noting many GOP senators privately oppose Trump but fear political retaliation if they speak out publicly.