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News reports published October 2, 2026, describe two profanity-filled text messages that North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis says he sent President Donald Trump earlier that year. The May 22 message expressed a desire to help while criticizing Trump’s conduct; a June 6 message disputed that Trump had directly threatened Tillis with a primary challenge.
What did Tillis write in the May 22 text?
The Daily Beast reported that Tillis wrote: “I still want to help but I don’t take this bulls–t from anyone, including you Mr. President. Save that s–t for the cowards who don’t care if you fail. I care if you fail and right now we are failing.” The Daily Beast’s October 2 report gives the text as a reported excerpt attributed to Tillis.
The message combines criticism with an expressed willingness to help. CNN’s October 2 transcript and The Independent’s report say Trump criticized Tillis publicly on May 22, and CNN describes the text as appearing to respond to that post. The reports do not establish the complete exchange or Trump’s reply. CNN’s News Central transcript recounts the May message and its reported timing.
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What did the June 6 text say about a primary challenge?
The Independent reported that Tillis wrote: “If you had ever threatened me directly with a primary, I would have immediately told you to ‘f*** yourself,’ and I would have announced my retirement immediately.” The Independent’s October 2 report presents this as a conditional statement: Tillis said what he would have done if Trump had directly threatened him with a primary challenge.
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That wording is not evidence that Trump made such a direct threat, or that Tillis actually delivered the quoted retort or announced his retirement. In the reported message, Tillis denies that Trump had threatened him directly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How were the messages made public?
Reports published October 2 connected the texts to Tillis’s forthcoming book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents. The accounts describe excerpts attributed to Tillis; the sources cited here are news reports and a broadcast transcript, not original message screenshots or an official archive of the full exchange.
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