Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Thom Tillis

Public opinion and media debates around Thom Tillis—discover key moments of controversy.

Thom Tillis is an American politician and businessman, currently serving as a United States Senator from North Carolina since 2015. A Republican, he previously served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2007 to 2015, holding the position of State House Speaker from 2011. Tillis was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, defeating the incumbent Kay Hagan, and secured reelection in 2020. Following Richard Burr's retirement in 2023, Tillis became the senior U.S. Senator for North Carolina.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

1976: Copyright Act

In April 2020, Thom Tillis expressed concern that the Internet Archive's "National Emergency Library" initiative violated copyright law. The Internet Archive argued that the Copyright Act of 1976 provides flexibility to libraries and others to adjust to changing circumstances.

2010: Minimum Wage Opposition

In 2010, Thom Tillis opposed the idea of increasing North Carolina's minimum wage.

2011: "Divide and Conquer" Speech

In 2011, Thom Tillis said, "What we have to do is find a way to divide and conquer the people who are on assistance" by getting people who "had no choice" but to receive public assistance "to look down at these people who choose to get into a condition that makes them dependent on the government." After a video of the speech was publicized three years later while he was running for the US Senate, Tillis faced some blowback, with some likening the comment to Mitt Romney's "47%" remark. Tillis said he regretted the phrasing "divide and conquer" but defended the remark's substance.

2011: Abortion Law

In 2011, while serving as speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Thom Tillis helped the House pass a law, later struck down by the courts, requiring abortion providers to perform an ultrasound on women seeking abortions four hours before the procedure.

2012: Pushed for North Carolina Amendment 1

In 2012, Thom Tillis played a leading role in pushing for North Carolina Amendment 1, a state constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage and civil unions.

2012: Defund Planned Parenthood

In 2012, Thom Tillis voted to defund Planned Parenthood in North Carolina.

2012: Legislation on Voting

In 2012, after Republican Pat McCrory was elected governor, Thom Tillis presided over legislation reducing early voting days, invalidating ballots cast outside one's precinct, and requiring specific kinds of photo ID in order to vote. The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the restrictions, writing in its opinion that they "target African Americans with almost surgical precision".

2013: Motorcycle Safety Bill

In 2013, Thom Tillis supported a motorcycle safety bill that had been surreptitiously amended to include restrictions on abortion.

2014: Campaign with Cambridge Analytica

During the 2014 campaign, the Thom Tillis campaign and the North Carolina Republican Party paid $345,000 to the data analysis firm Cambridge Analytica to microtarget voters, utilizing "psychographic profiles for all voters in North Carolina".

2014: Protests in Office

In 2014, 14 people protesting cuts to the earned income tax credits program and Thom Tillis's refusal to expand Medicaid were arrested after staging a sit-in in his office.

2014: Appealed ruling on Amendment 1

In 2014, Thom Tillis appealed a ruling that North Carolina Amendment 1 was unconstitutional.

2014: Denied climate change

In 2014, Thom Tillis denied that climate change was occurring.

2014: Opposed Minimum Wage Increase

In 2014, Thom Tillis opposed increasing the federal minimum wage.

2014: Support Personhood Bill

In 2014, a Thom Tillis spokesman told The Washington Post that Tillis would support a personhood bill if it were brought to the Senate floor, but only if abortion would continue to be legal "in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is in danger" and if women would continue to "have access to contraceptives."

2014: NRA support during Senate campaign

In 2014, during Thom Tillis' Senate campaign, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) spent $4.4 million, half in support of Tillis and half in opposition to Hagan.

2014: Campaign Finance

In the 2014 election, Thom Tillis received $22,888,975 in "dark money", which constituted 81% of non-party outside spending in support. OpenSecrets placed the final cost of outside spending at $8.5 million for Hagan and $35.5 million attacking Tillis, and $13.7 million for Tillis and $20.9 million attacking Hagan, placing the totals by candidate at $44 million for Hagan, and $34.6 million for Tillis.

2015: Offshore Drilling

In 2015, Thom Tillis called for opening up the United States' Atlantic coast for offshore drilling.

2015: Opt Out of Regulations

In 2015, Thom Tillis illustrated his attitude towards regulation by suggesting coffee-shop companies should be able to "opt out" of hand-washing regulations if they post a sign.

2015: Voted against climate change amendment

In 2015, Thom Tillis voted against an amendment acknowledging the existence of climate change and the contribution of human activity.

2016: Trump Comments "Indefensible"

After the release of the Access Hollywood tape during the 2016 United States presidential election, Thom Tillis called Trump's comments "indefensible".

2016: Opposed Supreme Court Filling

In 2016, Thom Tillis opposed filling the then Supreme Court vacancy until after the election, adding the nomination "would be best left to the next president."

March 2017: Voted for Broadband Consumer Privacy Proposal

In March 2017, Thom Tillis voted for the Broadband Consumer Privacy Proposal that removed the FCC's internet privacy rules and allowed internet service providers to sell customers' browsing history without their permission.

2017: Paris Agreement

In 2017, Thom Tillis called on Trump to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement.

2018: Beneficiary of NRA funding

As of 2018, Thom Tillis was the third-largest beneficiary of NRA funding in Congress.

2018: Climate change stance

In 2018, Thom Tillis stated he believed climate change is happening and humans may contribute to it, but remained unclear about agreeing with the scientific consensus that it is human-caused.

2018: Introduced legislation on preexisting conditions

In 2018, amid attempts to repeal the ACA, Thom Tillis introduced legislation to compensate for the ACA's requirement that insurers cover people with preexisting conditions, but the bill was criticized for loopholes. Tillis later stated he could make improvements to the bill.

February 2019: Opposed Trump's emergency declaration

In February 2019, Thom Tillis wrote an op-ed opposing Trump's national emergency declaration concerning the southern border.

April 2020: Concern over Internet Archive initiative

In April 2020, Thom Tillis expressed concern that the Internet Archive's "National Emergency Library" initiative violated copyright law, arguing it rewrote copyright law at the expense of creators.

May 2020: Voted against FISA amendment

In May 2020, Thom Tillis voted against an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to bar warrantless surveillance of web browser history.

September 2020: Opposition to Affordable Care Act

As of September 2020, North Carolina remains one of only 12 states not to have expanded Medicaid, due to legislation led by Thom Tillis which prevents the governor from expanding the program. Tillis has stated healthcare is "not a government responsibility".

September 2020: Supported Immediate Vote on Trump Nominee

In September 2020, with less than two months to the next presidential election, Thom Tillis supported an immediate vote on President Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court.

October 2020: Cunningham Affair Acknowledged

In October 2020, Cal Cunningham acknowledged having an extramarital affair, reducing his lead in the polls against Thom Tillis before election day.

2020: Senate campaign climate stance

During his 2020 Senate campaign, Tillis was described as trying to appear as a moderate proponent of market-based climate solutions, despite a record as a fossil fuel advocate.

2020: Reversed position on emergency declaration

In 2020, after initially opposing Trump's national emergency declaration, Thom Tillis reversed his position and voted for it.

May 28, 2021: Voted against Capitol attack commission

On May 28, 2021, Thom Tillis voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the 2021 United States Capitol attack.

2023: Censured by NC Republican Party

In 2023, the North Carolina Republican Party voted to censure Thom Tillis, particularly over his stances on immigration and gay marriage.

June 2025: Opposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act

In June 2025, Thom Tillis opposed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act due to concerns about Medicaid cuts; as a result, Trump threatened to support primary challengers against him.

2025: Involvement in Hegseth nomination

In 2025, Thom Tillis allegedly told Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth's ex-sister-in-law that a sworn statement from her would carry weight regarding his potential alcohol abuse and abuse of his second wife. He ultimately voted to confirm Hegseth, citing lack of corroboration, though there were reports he changed his vote due to pressure from President Trump.