North Carolina – Former Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has emerged as one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics in recent months.
She has been launching a series of sharp public attacks that mark a dramatic break from her once-fierce loyalty to the MAGA leader.
After resigning from Congress earlier this year following a public feud, Greene has repeatedly condemned Trump’s foreign policy decisions, particularly his aggressive rhetoric and threats toward Iran, as “evil and madness.”
She has gone so far as to call for invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office, arguing he is “out of control” and has abandoned the “America First” promises that defined his campaign.
Growing number of Republican lawmakers and prominent figures have been increasingly vocal criticizing Trump and the White house administration recently.
One of them is North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis who is heading toward the final stretch of his Senate career with fewer restraints and sharper edges.
Speaking to NBC News, he said he was using the situation as one of his last major fights in Washington to challenge both the Trump administration and the broader direction of his party.
Though President Donald Trump recently suggested in a Fox News interview that Tillis had effectively “already quit” and would not matter in the confirmation battles ahead, the North Carolina Republican is proving otherwise in a way that could carry real consequences for one of the administration’s most closely watched nominations.
That leverage is now centered on Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve.
Tillis, a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said Warsh is “a perfect candidate,” but made clear he will not support the nomination unless the administration first ends its federal criminal probe into Powell.
With Democrats expected to stay united against Trump’s nominee, Tillis’ opposition is enough to complicate the path forward.
For Tillis, the dispute is not about Warsh’s qualifications. It is about what he views as punishment of Powell without evidence.
Powell has denied wrongdoing, and a federal judge last month blocked subpoenas tied to the investigation, citing “essentially zero evidence.” Tillis said he accepts Trump’s statement that he was not personally involved in launching the probe, but he suggested that “somebody in DOJ” may be pursuing Powell in hopes of gaining favor with the White House.
His message was direct: end the investigation, and he will vote for Warsh immediately. Until then, he will not budge.
“Now some people can say, ‘OK, Thom, you made your point. Jay Powell’s term expires as chair in May, so why not go ahead and fill it?’” Tillis said.
“Because I don’t want to reward bad behavior.”
That same bluntness has shaped Tillis’ comments on another controversy involving Trump, recent clash with Pope Leo XIV. While Tillis said he accepts Trump’s explanation for a separate, now-deleted Truth Social post portraying him in a Christ-like way, he said the president’s attacks on the pope crossed a line.
A Catholic himself, Tillis argued that political language aimed at election opponents should never be directed at the head of the Catholic Church.
“To say soft on crime or soft on the border, that’s what you say to an opponent in the next election,” Tillis said.
“But not to the pope of the Catholic Church.”
He went further, saying Trump should apologize.
“I, for one, think apology is an underused in art and politics,” Tillis said. “When you’re wrong, you’re wrong, or if you made a mistake, or maybe it was just a misconception, just get past it. Move on.”
Tillis also raised new concerns about the war with Iran, saying that while he initially gave Trump “latitude,” he is no longer sure what the administration’s strategic objectives are.
With the 60-day war powers mark approaching, he warned that continued support could become harder to maintain if Congress does not get clearer answers.
He also pointed to the war’s growing cost, estimated at more than $30 billion, and said lawmakers should not approve more funding without proper oversight and fuller briefings.
Looking ahead to November, Tillis urged Republicans in competitive states to stay focused on what helps them win, not on distractions. He also remains opposed to ending the filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act.
As he prepares to leave the Senate, Tillis says he has no plans to return to politics. But he is making clear that he intends to use his remaining time in office on his own terms.
