(../../../favicon.ico)  (../../../../am12.mediaite.com/med/cnt/themes/m2019/images/icon-192x192.png) (../../../../am12.mediaite.com/med/cnt/themes/m2019/images/icon-192x192.png) Thom Tillis Privately Told Trump Off in Texts: Politico     (index.html)                     (oEmbed (JSON)) (https://www.mediaite.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediaite.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews%2Fgop-senator-privately-told-off-trump-in-fiery-texts-obtained-by-politico-i-dont-take-that-bullsht-from-anyone%2F)  (oEmbed (XML)) (https://www.mediaite.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediaite.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews%2Fgop-senator-privately-told-off-trump-in-fiery-texts-obtained-by-politico-i-dont-take-that-bullsht-from-anyone%2F&format=xml)  (../../../../am11.mediaite.com/med/cnt/plugins/seotech-tagipedia/css/related-posts.css@ver=7.1.2.css)  (https://www.mediaite.com/wp-json/)  (JSON) (https://www.mediaite.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/5763934)  (RSD) (https://www.mediaite.com/xmlrpc.php?rsd)   (http://mediaite.com/a/eispz)  (http://mediaite.com/a/cprpa)   (https://am11.mediaite.com/med/cnt/themes/m2019/js/min/min.js?2608141810) (https://am13.mediaite.com/med/cnt/themes/m2019/fonts/dmserif-700.woff2?2505151140) (https://am11.mediaite.com/med/cnt/themes/m2019/fonts/dmserif-700i.woff2?2505151140) (https://am14.mediaite.com/med/cnt/themes/m2019/fonts/roboto-500.woff2?2505151451) (../../../../am11.mediaite.com/med/cnt/themes/m2019/css/min/crit-main.min.css@2609151457.css) (../../../../am11.mediaite.com/med/cnt/themes/m2019/css/min/crit-main.min.css@2609151457.css) (../../../../am13.mediaite.com/med/cnt/themes/m2019/css/min/def-main.min.css@2512171801.css) (../../../../am13.mediaite.com/med/cnt/themes/m2019/css/min/def-main.min.css@2512171801.css)   (comScore)     (index.html#wrap) Skip to main content      Manage Subscription Sign in ! 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(https://www.mediaite.com/subscribe) Mediaite+    (https://www.mediaite.com/category/media/) Media  (https://www.mediaite.com/category/politics/) Politics  (https://www.youtube.com/mediaite) Video ▾  (https://www.youtube.com/mediaite)   Mediaite  (https://www.youtube.com/@MediaiteShorts)   Mediaite Shorts  (https://www.youtube.com/@MediaitesPressClub)   Mediaite's Press Club  (https://www.youtube.com/@danabrams)   Dan Abrams    (https://www.mediaite.com/category/tv) TV  (https://www.mediaite.com/podcasts) Press Club  (https://www.mediaite.com/category/entertainment/) Entertainment  (https://www.mediaite.com/category/sports/) Sports  (https://www.mediaite.com/category/podcasts) Podcasts      GOP Senator Privately Told Off Trump in Fiery Texts Obtained by Politico: ‘I Don’t Take That Bullsh*t From Anyone!’  (https://www.mediaite.com/author/david-gilmour) (Posts by David Gilmour) David Gilmour  Oct 2nd, 2026, 8:16 am    Share (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediaite.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews%2Fgop-senator-privately-told-off-trump-in-fiery-texts-obtained-by-politico-i-dont-take-that-bullsht-from-anyone) X  (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediaite.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews%2Fgop-senator-privately-told-off-trump-in-fiery-texts-obtained-by-politico-i-dont-take-that-bullsht-from-anyone) Facebook  (https://www.reddit.com/submit) (submit to reddit)    Copy Link     (index.html#open-comments)   (Angry Trump Truth Social)  (Screenshot)  Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) privately tore into President Donald Trump this summer in a pair of extraordinary text messages published on Friday, telling the president he does not take “bullsh*t” from anyone and saying he would have told the president to “f*ck yourself” had Trump personally threatened him with a primary challenge. The blistering messages, (https://www.politico.com/playbook) obtained by Politico Playbook , are set to appear in the retiring senator’s upcoming book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents . In a (https://static.politico.com/df/13/e66209154700aee3ef550f319381/image1.jpeg) June 6 text message , Tillis pushed back on Trump’s apparent recollection of their political falling-out and insisted the president had never directly threatened him with a primary opponent: As I have said before, you NEVER threatened me with a primary challenge. I get that you may have me confused with so many Republicans that you have threatened in the past, but NEVER me. If you had ever threatened me directly with a primary, I would have immediately told you to f*ck yourself, and I would have announced my retirement immediately. Save those threats and head games for cowards and fools.  Another message, (https://static.politico.com/d1/0a/fcc02a57452f800050d9cc370269/image2.jpg) dated May 22 , showed Tillis telling Trump that his criticism came from concern about the president’s fortunes rather than hostility toward him: I still want to help but I don’t take this bullsh*t from anyone, including you Mr. President. Save that sh*t for the cowards who don’t care if you fail. I care if you fail and right now we are failing.  Tillis’ May 22 text appeared to be a direct (https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/quitter-trump-unleashes-on-weak-and-ineffective-gop-rebel-amid-senate-revolt/) response to a Truth Social broadside Trump posted earlier that day, in which the president branded the Republican “weak and ineffective,” a “Nitpicker,” and a “QUITTER.” Trump claimed Tillis had abandoned his reelection bid after learning the president would not endorse him, accusing the senator of spending his remaining months in office with “RINO friends, screwing the Republican Party.” The attack came amid a widening rupture between Tillis and the White House. Since announcing his retirement, the senator has repeatedly broken with Trump and fellow Republicans, (https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/gop-senator-praises-trump-fed-nominee-then-tells-him-to-his-face-why-he-cant-vote-for-him-yet/) including on Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh while demanding the Justice Department end its past investigation of former Fed Chair Jerome Powell . Tillis also (https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/payout-pot-for-punks-senator-quickly-reacts-to-trumps-latest-anti-weaponization-fund-push/) denounced the Justice Department’s $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund. New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters" Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. (https://www.mediaite.com/subscribe) Subscribe now!       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