Republican Sen. Thom Tillis says in a new book that his vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is the “biggest regret of my career.” He describes his decision as one he now wishes he had not made, according to multiple outlets.
The reports also say Tillis raises other regrets related to President Donald Trump’s second term. PBS and other coverage report that he claims he “should’ve stopped” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from becoming secretary of Health and Human Services early in the administration. Outlet coverage varies mainly in how much emphasis it places on the Hegseth vote versus the broader set of reflections described in the book.
One outlet frames Tillis’s comments as part of his final months in the Senate, describing the book as an introspective account of his dealings with the “Trump 2.0” White House. Other outlets focus primarily on the specific language of regret about the Hegseth confirmation, while still noting the additional claim about Kennedy Jr. Overall, the articles agree on the central point: Tillis now regrets the Senate vote that helped move Hegseth into the administration.
