Key facts
- Senator Thom Tillis urges Republicans to focus on policy achievements.
- Tillis believes Donald Trump's focus on election legislation undermines electoral confidence.
- Tillis objects to Donald Trump's version of the SAVE America Act.
- Senator Bill Cassidy criticizes President Donald Trump's approach to Iran hostilities.
- Cassidy states Trump treats Congress as 'merely an appendage'.
- Cassidy had a heated exchange with Trump over war powers.
- Trump backed a rival who defeated Cassidy for his Senate seat.
Senator Thom Tillis is advising Republicans to shift their focus from election legislation, a priority for Donald Trump, towards highlighting policy achievements. Tillis believes Trump's emphasis on election-related bills is detrimental, as it erodes public trust in the electoral system. Specifically, Tillis has voiced objections to Donald Trump's proposed version of the SAVE America Act.
Separately, Senator Bill Cassidy has criticized President Donald Trump's foreign policy decision-making, asserting that Trump operates as if Congress is "merely an appendage." This criticism stems from Trump's handling of hostilities with Iran. Cassidy, who previously held a Senate seat but lost it after Trump endorsed a political rival, shared an account of a contentious discussion he had with Trump concerning the executive and legislative branches' war powers. The context of Cassidy's loss of his Senate seat is that Trump actively supported a challenger who ultimately won the election against him.