Political Trump Federal
Tillis Unloads, Democrats Eye 2028, and Trump Skips the Wedding
Retiring Senator Thom Tillis is using his remaining time in office to deliver unusually candid intraparty criticism, characterizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as making former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem 'look like a five-star recruit' and accusing Hegseth of repeatedly overselling progress in the Iran war while costs and casualties mount. On CNN, Tillis also called Trump-backed Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton 'a failure' ahead of Tuesday's Republican primary runoff — a direct challenge to the president's endorsement power that carries no electoral risk for a senator who is not seeking reelection.
Trump, meanwhile, has endorsed Kansas Senate leader Dan Masterson for governor, signaling continued active involvement in candidate selection across the country. On the Democratic side, early positioning for 2028 is already underway, with potential candidates reportedly seeking the backing of Senator Elizabeth Warren, whose endorsement is seen as conferring both progressive credibility and organizational know-how.
Federal-state tensions are generating policy friction on several fronts. Governor Newsom has requested federal disaster aid over a toxic chemical tank threatening Orange County, creating a test case for how the Trump administration handles emergencies in politically opposed states. California separately passed a sweeping voting rights act following a Supreme Court ruling that weakened federal protections. On immigration, USCIS has instructed officers to treat in-country green card applications as extraordinary rather than routine — a significant operational shift affecting thousands of families that has received limited public attention compared to higher-profile enforcement actions.
Trump's decision to skip son Don Jr.'s wedding, citing the Iran war, generated public commentary about the intersection of presidential duty and family life. The DOJ's anti-weaponization fund, intended as an institutional reform, is facing both a GOP revolt and three separate federal lawsuits — a dynamic that illustrates how efforts to depoliticize government can themselves become sources of acute political conflict.