China Grove native Jacob Morton’s recent My Turn column in the Salisbury Post broaches a rare point of consensus – “I would imagine that readers on both the left and the right can remember other examples of Sen. Tillis’ unreliability. I encourage them to submit those recollections to the Post for the community’s consideration.”

I write in today on a rare point of consensus in these politically turbulent times. That point? We cannot count on Thom Tillis. My conservative friends have long considered him unreliable. Neither are my liberal friends his biggest fan. I never liked that he slashed the education budget when he was speaker of the State House. But over the last few years, I have tried to see his odd behavior as evidence of moderation, responsibility or humility. I was wrong. It was evidence of weakness at best and self-interest at worst.

Exhibit A: Senator Tillis waffled for weeks on whether he would vote for the confirmation of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary. I admire and appreciate Mr. Hegseth’s military service, but his rank is the same as mine when I left the active-duty Navy, and I was no salty sailor. The Defense Department is vast and extraordinarily complex. There were certainly other conservatives with more experience in managing such an organization. And then, of course, there were the alleged character issues. Our men and women in uniform — my friends, your sons and daughters — may depend on this man’s leadership for their very survival, and he faced credible concerns about his ability to stay sober. Senators have a responsibility to ensure our servicemembers have the stellar leadership they are owed. 

Not only did Sen. Tillis fail in this regard, he did so in the disappointing way we’ve all come to expect. When Mr. Hegseth’s former sister-in-law expressed concerns that he had abused both alcohol and his ex-wife, Tillis assured her if she signed an affidavit, it could move votes — including his own. She did so, at great risk to herself. Similarly, one of Sen. Tillis’ close supporters — a woman who had worked for Mr. Hegseth — reached out to share her concerns about Mr. Hegseth’s conduct. “I have your back,” Tillis texted her. But he didn’t. Despite telling other Republican Senators that he was a “no,” he flip-flopped, becoming the key vote to confirm. Perhaps that is a vote you support. But the point is that Sen. Tillis behaved in a way that makes it clear that none of us, regardless of our politics, can count on him. It is an embarrassment to the Tar Heel state — a place that takes such pride in its stubborn propensity to stick to its guns.  

Exhibit B: Elon Musk’s rampage through the federal government has garnered much media attention. He’s gained access to our social security numbers and other personal data. He shut down an agency that was investigating one of his companies. He is terrorizing civil servants, many of whom faithfully defend our nation’s security and protect our interests against big businesses like his. But what is most disturbing is that no one elected him. The people’s representatives did not confirm him to a government job. He has essentially taken that power for himself. 

What does Tillis have to say? “That runs afoul of the Constitution in the strictest sense,” he has stated, but we shouldn’t “bellyache” about it. Regardless of what you think of this situation, focus on that sentiment. Tillis believes that Mr. Musk’s actions are unconstitutional, and he is fine with that. 

I would imagine that readers on both the left and the right can remember other examples of Sen. Tillis’ unreliability. I encourage them to submit those recollections to the Post for the community’s consideration. 

I remember when Thom Tillis refused to stand up for teachers. Now he refuses to stand up for our troops. He refuses to stand up for the Constitution. He won’t even stand up for his own word. So to my friends on each end of the political spectrum, we finally all agree on something. We cannot trust Thom Tillis to stand up for regular people. It saddens me to finally realize that when it really counts, his spine will fail. It always has.

Note to the reader: The views expressed in this letter belong to the author alone. Readers should not construe the author’s military service to mean that the views expressed are those of the Defense Department or the U.S. Navy.  

From The Salisbury Post: https://www.salisburypost.com/2025/02/13/jacob-morton-an-unreliable-senator/