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Sen. Tom Tillis defends Trump-era votes on Ari Melber's The Beat

politicsOct 5, 2026261,164

Sen. Tom Tillis appeared on Ari Melber's The Beat to promote his new book and defended his Trump-era votes, saying he stood by the president as the leader of the Republican Party. During the interview Tillis framed some decisions as following party leadership and blamed presidential advisers for poor personnel choices, according to posts about the segment. Social media posts reacting to the interview accused Tillis of using whataboutism, deflecting responsibility for votes such as cabinet confirmations and the impeachment acquittal, and trying to rehabilitate his record while selling his book. Several posts said Ari Melber pressed Tillis on those defenses but that Tillis largely declined to accept blame for outcomes tied to his votes.