Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., after forcing an end to a Justice Department investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, is now warning President Donald Trump's administration that he will oppose any attorney general nominee who downplays the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.
"Hopefully, they'll take me at my word when I say anybody who equivocated on the Jan. 6 rioters, I just can't support," Tillis said of potential Justice Department nominees, Politico reported on Thursday.
Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, holds significant sway in confirmations, where Republicans have a one-vote margin. He recently used similar leverage in the Senate Banking Committee, delaying action on Federal Reserve nominee Kevin Warsh for months.
The standoff ended Wednesday when Tillis voted to advance Warsh to the Senate floor after the Justice Department closed its inquiry into whether Powell misled Congress during a hearing last year.
Tillis had warned the probe risked undermining the Fed's independence.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced last week that the investigation would be dropped. Tillis said he communicated with Justice Department officials multiple times in the days leading up to the decision and also checked in on Powell's position, though he declined to say whether he spoke directly with the Fed chair.
The episode marked a rare case of a Republican senator successfully pressuring an administration led by his own party.
"Every single member of the conference has the same option," Tillis said. "I've seen people do silly things like blanket holds and stuff like that that are not sustainable."
Following the committee vote, Tillis reiterated his stance on Jan. 6, recalling that he was the last senator to leave the chamber as protesters disrupted the certification of the 2020 election.
He previously blocked the nomination of Ed Martin for U.S. attorney over Martin's comments about the protest and his legal work defending participants.
"I'll scrub it when a nominee comes forward, and I'll apply the Martin standard," Tillis said of any candidate to replace former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The dynamics differ between the Powell dispute and the attorney general vacancy. The Fed nomination faced a deadline tied to Powell's term, which ends May 15, creating urgency for the administration. Tillis said officials recognized that delay would prevent Warsh from being seated in time.
"I think they understood if we didn't get it done today, tomorrow, this week, that he wouldn't be seated by the time the term expires," Tillis said.
No similar time pressure exists for the attorney general role. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is serving as acting attorney general and can remain in the position for months under federal law.
Some point to past examples where acting officials served for extended periods.
That could allow the administration to wait out Tillis, who is retiring and leaves office in January. Such a move could carry political risks, including a potential shift in Senate control in the midterm elections.
Tillis said he will maintain his position regardless of timing, describing the Powell dispute as critical to protecting the central bank's independence.
He also linked the episode to the Senate's legislative filibuster, which Trump has called to eliminate. Tillis, like most Republicans, supports keeping the 60-vote threshold.
"Then a simple majority would have been enough to discharge [Warsh] from committee," Tillis said, noting that Senate organization depends on bipartisan agreement.
Tillis, freed from reelection concerns, has taken a more outspoken role on several issues. He has criticized elements of the administration while maintaining that he respects Trump and wants his presidency to succeed.
Trump recently suggested in a Fox News interview that Tillis had already left the Senate, saying, "You know Thom Tillis is no longer a senator, right? He quit."
Tillis responded, "I'm not dead yet."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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