Thom Tillis

Senate Republicans expressed new worries about the economy Monday after Wall Street had one of its worst days in years amid a trade war and remarks from President Trump that did not rule out the possibility of a recession. The Nasdaq composite had its worst day in three years, closing with a loss of 4 [...]

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is expected to announce later this month whether or not she’ll seek a fourth six-year term representing New Hampshire in the Senate when she’s up for re-election next year.

Republican lawmakers are starting to urge President Trump to reverse his decisions to pause U.S. military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, warning that a prolonged stoppage of U.S. help for the war effort would have a seriously detrimental effect. They say that Trump has the right to temporarily halt weapons shipments to Ukraine to assess [...]

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., voiced his criticism of Arthur Schwartz, a GOP operative close to Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President Vance, calling his behavior "the single greatest threat" to retaining the majority in Congress.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., arrives in his wheelchair for the cloture vote on FBI nominee Kash Patel on Thursday. McConnell has been the strongest GOP opponent of President Donald Trump's shifts in Russia policy.

GOP officials who have supported Ukraine are trying to balance their opposition to Russia while remaining loyal to Trump.

WASHINGTON — Mitch McConnell will end his Senate career with his most indelible mark on the nation’s federal courts and the chamber’s judicial confirmation process, a priority that changed the chamber’s rules and solidified a conservative Supreme Court for the foreseeable future.

Patel is a controversial nominee, having long raged against the so-called Deep State and prioritized his loyalty to Trump.

Donald Trump lashed out at Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president accused him of living in a 'disinformation space' - and Putin is thought to be buoyant and under belief victory will soon be his

Tensions between the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government had been escalating behind the scenes for the past week.

President Trump's direct criticisms of Volodymyr Zelensky have detonated on Capitol Hill, where Republicans are torn between their loyalty to their president versus honoring their promises to Ukraine."The president speaks for himself," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters about Trump's latest comments.Why it matters: In the past 24 hours, Trump called Zelensky "a dictator without elections," falsely accused Ukraine of starting the war with Russia and said it "could have made a deal" to end the fighting.🥊 In response, some Republicans eviscerated Russian President Vladimir Putin."Putin started this war. Putin committed war crimes. Putin is the dictator," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) wrote on X."Vladimir Putin is a vile dictator and thug," Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) wrote on X."Vladimir Putin is the Dictator without Elections," Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) wrote on X.Zoom in: Trump's slams today broke through the defenses of GOP senators, who had gotten smoother at dodging questions on Trump's social media posts."I would certainly not call Zelensky a dictator," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), as NBC News cataloged."It's not a word I would use," said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)."I wouldn't use the same word," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).Between the lines: Some Republicans, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), agree with Trump that Zelensky should hold elections. They've been put off as allowed by the country's constitution because of martial law since Russia's 2022 invasion.

Public comments from President Trump blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for Russia’s invasion of his country are unnerving Senate Republicans, who have largely sought to avoid conflicts with the White House. Trump’s escalating war of words with the Ukrainian leader comes as hawks in both parties plead with the president not to give Moscow a [...]

Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith’s (D) decision to not run for reelection in 2026 is adding another headache for Democrats trying to win back control of the Senate in two years. Smith became the second Senate Democrat to announce their retirement in the past few weeks after Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) also decided against seeking another [...]

A Republican rift is forming over the issue of judicial review — but don't expect Congress to defy Donald Trump

He is the most lawless president in American history.

Democrats face “few opportunities" to win back the Senate majority from the Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections, a top non-partisan political handicapper predicts.

Patel is a controversial nominee, having long raged against the so-called Deep State and prioritized his loyalty to Trump.

The Senate advanced Gabbard's nomination in a party-line procedural vote Monday night, teeing up a vote on final passage.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are feeling the wrath of constituents as their phone lines light up with complaints, worries and confusion over Elon Musk's efforts to gut government programs and fire longtime civil servants.According to a report from the Washington Post, phone lines are jammed and there is no room in voicemail systems for voters to leave messages leading one lawmaker to admit, "It is a deluge on DOGE."Musk is causing no small amount of grief for House and Senate members with his announcements on X about which departments he will be targeting next as Donald Trump gives him free rein to create chaos.ALSO READ: 'Making America less safe': Democrats warn of disaster as Trump purges the CIA"Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said the Senate’s phones were receiving 1,600 calls each minute, compared with the usual 40 calls per minute," the Post is reporting. "Many of the calls she’s been receiving are from people concerned about U.S. DOGE Service employees having broad access to government systems and sensitive information. The callers are asking whether their information is compromised and about why there isn’t more transparency about what is happening, she said."Murkowski is particularly vulnerable because her state employs a larger than-normal number of federal workers.“Truly our office has gotten more phone calls on Elon Musk and what the heck he’s doing mucking around in federal government than I think anything we’ve gotten in years," Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) complained. "People are really angry.”Sen. Angus King (I-ME) told reporters, "We can hardly answer the phones fast enough. It’s a combination of fear, confusion and heartbreak, because of the importance of some of these programs.”"Lawmakers, including Republicans, have asked for clarity from the White House about the scope of Musk’s team’s access to data, including classified and personal information, this week. Some also expressed confusion about what is going on," the report states with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) confessing, "A lot of people think that Elon Musk is off the chain and causing all kinds of havoc."You can read more here.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial environmental lawyer turned public health critic, cleared his first hurdle on Tuesday to become the nation’s top health official when the Senate finance committee voted to advance his nomination for a floor vote.

'With the serious commitments I’ve received ... I will vote yes'

After the 14-13 committee vote, the nomination now goes before a full Senate vote.

The Republican senator from North Carolina announced Monday on X he would vote in favor of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination.

Republicans appear to be rallying behind President Donald Trump’s health secretary nominee

Former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson dropped his libel lawsuit against CNN on Friday and said he is leaving public life, marking the final chapter for the disgraced Republican politician who was caught posting racist and sexually explicit musings on a porn website.Robinson was suing CNN over its bombshell report during his 2024 bid for governor which revealed that in a series of posts on a pornographic website forum, Robinson described himself as a “black Nazi,” made racist slurs against Martin Luther King Jr., and said the only reason he wasn’t in the Ku Klux Klan is because he is black and they wouldn’t let him in. Robinson made the vile comments on a website called Nude Africa, where he also admitted to watching “tr-nny on girl porn,” “peeping” on women in public showers, and cheating on his wife with his sister-in-law.In a series of posts on X, Robinson continued to claim that CNN lied in the report that broke the story of his disturbing internet postings, although he never provided any evidence that the report was false.But Robinson said that continuing his lawsuit would be too costly and that a "continued political persecution of my family and loved ones is a cost I am unwilling to continue to bear.""The words of our Savior, along with the earthly reality that costly litigation and political gamesmanship by my detractors makes clear that continuing to pursue retribution from CNN is a futile effort," Robinson wrote. "That is why I have asked Jesse Binnall and his legal team to terminate any continued attempt to litigate with CNN on my or my family’s behalf."Robinson added that he has no plans to primary North Carolina GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, who is up for reelection in 2026. "I will not run next year, nor do I have plans to seek elected office in the future. Until we change the hearts and souls of those inside the political arena, it is unlikely the political process itself will undergo any meaningful change," Robinson said.Robinson handily lost his bid for North Carolina governor in November to Democrat Josh Stein, even as Donald Trump won the state. CNN’s report caused Robinson’s support among Republicans to collapse and his campaign staff to flee en masse. Trump, who had praised Robinson as “Martin Luther King on steroids,” distanced himself from the tainted candidate after the CNN report on the Nude Africa posts. Of course, Trump had embraced Robinson despite knowing about the other horrifying comments he had already made, including when Robinson denied that Adolf Hitler killed millions of Jews in the Holocaust, said 9/11 was an “inside job,” that the music industry leads people to Satan, and that LGBTQ+ people are “filth.”Nevertheless, we may all be officially done dealing with Robinson. Good riddance. Thank you to the Daily Kos community who continues to fight so hard with Daily Kos. Your reader support means everything. We will continue to have you covered and keep you informed, so please donate just $3 to help support the work we do.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable. And farmers across the Midwest are nervous over his talk of banning corn syrup and pesticides from America’s food supply.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable. And farmers across the Midwest are nervous about his talk of removing corn syrup and pesticides from America’s food supply. The...

Patel has long raged against the so-called Deep State and prioritized his loyalty to Trump.

Trump couches the pardons as the righting of a wrong — “a grave national injustice.” The price of this delusion: more than 150 injured police officers.

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

A moderate GOP senator has broken her silence to say she won't be voting to confirm Pete Hegseth.

The Senate on Thursday voted to advance Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be President Donald Trump’s defense secretary, putting him on a path to final confirmation at the end of the week.The vote was 51 to 49, with just two Republicans — moderate Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine — voting with all 47 Democrats to try to block Hegseth. He needed a simple majority to advance to a final vote.Shortly before the vote, Murkowski became the first Republican to publicly oppose Hegseth’s nomination, saying that some of the past behavior he has admitted to demonstrates a “lack of judgment” and is “unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.”After the vote, Collins said she had raised concerns directly to Hegseth about his past comments that women should not serve in combat roles.In his confirmation hearing, Hegseth walked those comments back, telling senators he supports women serving in combat as long as standards remain high. But Collins said in her statement she is “not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.”Still, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who has guided Hegseth through the process, declared after the vote that Hegseth will be confirmed on Friday. Asked about Murkowski and Collins opposing him, Wicker said, “I was not surprised, and I do understand.”Thursday’s vote marked a significant step forward for Hegseth, whose nomination just last month appeared to be on the verge of collapse after multiple news reports detailed allegations of alcohol abuse, a sexual assault, and the financial mismanagement of organizations that he led.Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor and Army combat veteran, has denied all of those allegations.The GOP-led Senate voted to end debate on his nomination after 11th-hour revelations that a former sister-in-law to Hegseth had said in a sworn affidavit that was shared with senators that the he had demonstrated “erratic and aggressive behavior over many years” and had made his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, “fear for her safety” while they were married. The former sister-in-law, Daniella Hegseth, also wrote in the affidavit that “Samantha once told me that Hegseth grabbed her groin without consent at their home.”Trump administrationJan 145 takeaways from Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearingpolitics18 hours agoUnredacted affidavit contains previously unreported allegation about Pete Hegseth's behavior toward second wifeTrump administrationJan 21Senators receive affidavit containing new allegations against Pete Hegseth, who denies the claimsThe affidavit was submitted in response to a request for information from Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. The existence of the affidavit was first reported by NBC News.Daniella Hegseth said that she “did not personally witness physical or sexual abuse by Hegseth.” Samantha Hegseth said in a statement that there was no physical abuse during her marriage to Hegseth. A lawyer for his ex-wife did not respond to the previously unreported allegation.Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Pete Hegseth, wrote in an email: “As NBC is well aware, the actual participant, Samantha has denied these false allegations, yet NBC continues to irresponsibly report false allegations by an uninvolved third party as if they were fact.”Despite Thursday’s vote, Hegseth is still not in the clear. Four GOP senators joining all 47 Democrats on the final vote would result in Hegseth falling short of the majority he needs to be confirmed.While Sens. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., confirmed they would vote in favor of Hegseth and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, reiterated her support for him Thursday, several others remained on the fence.Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he would vote to advance Hegseth’s nomination and appeared to be leaning in favor of final passage as he investigated the myriad allegations against Hegseth.“I’m still examining the record ... I go through extensive due diligence,” Tillis said Thursday. “I have talked to numerous people. I have spent hours on the phone. I have yet to find one instance of a first-hand account with corroboration to support the allegations. If I find that, then it would influence my vote.“But I’ve completed due diligence, and I’ve looked for it, and I haven’t found it,” Tillis said.Wicker, the Armed Services chairman, foreshadowed just how close a final vote on Hegseth might be, suggesting that Vice President JD Vance may be needed to break a 50-50 tie.“If I were JD Vance, I’d stick around,” Wicker said.Trump appointments and nomineesHere are some of the people that President-elect Donald Trump has named for high-profile positions in his administration. Nominations and picks are not official until Trump is officially in office. ■ Requires Senate confimation ■ Confirmed by Senate ■ Failed Senate confirmationvar pymParent = new pym.Parent('trump-admin', 'https://media.nbcnewyork.com/assets/editorial/national/2024/trump-admin-noms/index.html', {title: '', parenturlparam: '', parenturlvalue: ''});Source: NBC NewsSpeaking in opposition of Hegseth’s nomination, Reed, the top Democrat on Armed Services, said on the Senate floor that he believed the FBI’s initial background check into Hegseth was rushed and incomplete. He added that the FBI has had to give him two additional briefings on Hegseth since then, including Wednesday night.“Before Mr. Hegseth’s hearing, I was alarmed that investigators had neglected to contact critical witnesses and whistle blowers, and I urged them to reopen the investigation,” Reed said in his floor speech. “During my experience on the Armed Services Committee, it is unprecedented that the FBI has returned to my office two more times, as recently as last night, to provide additional information on the nominee.“Frankly, I still do not believe the background investigation is complete,” he said.This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:Senate confirms John Ratcliffe to be CIA directorFederal district court judge temporarily blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship orderTrump’s threat to Moscow on Ukraine seen as an insulting false start by some in Russia

The Senate on Thursday voted to advance Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be President Donald Trump’s defense secretary, putting him on a path to final confirmation at the end of the week.The vote was 51 to 49, with just two Republicans — moderate Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine — voting with all 47 Democrats to try to block Hegseth. He needed a simple majority to advance to a final vote.Shortly before the vote, Murkowski became the first Republican to publicly oppose Hegseth’s nomination, saying that some of the past behavior he has admitted to demonstrates a “lack of judgment” and is “unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.”After the vote, Collins said she had raised concerns directly to Hegseth about his past comments that women should not serve in combat roles.In his confirmation hearing, Hegseth walked those comments back, telling senators he supports women serving in combat as long as standards remain high. But Collins said in her statement she is “not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.”Still, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who has guided Hegseth through the process, declared after the vote that Hegseth will be confirmed on Friday. Asked about Murkowski and Collins opposing him, Wicker said, “I was not surprised, and I do understand.”Thursday’s vote marked a significant step forward for Hegseth, whose nomination just last month appeared to be on the verge of collapse after multiple news reports detailed allegations of alcohol abuse, a sexual assault, and the financial mismanagement of organizations that he led.Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor and Army combat veteran, has denied all of those allegations.The GOP-led Senate voted to end debate on his nomination after 11th-hour revelations that a former sister-in-law to Hegseth had said in a sworn affidavit that was shared with senators that the he had demonstrated “erratic and aggressive behavior over many years” and had made his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, “fear for her safety” while they were married. The former sister-in-law, Daniella Hegseth, also wrote in the affidavit that “Samantha once told me that Hegseth grabbed her groin without consent at their home.”Trump administrationJan 145 takeaways from Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearingpolitics18 hours agoUnredacted affidavit contains previously unreported allegation about Pete Hegseth's behavior toward second wifeTrump administrationJan 21Senators receive affidavit containing new allegations against Pete Hegseth, who denies the claimsThe affidavit was submitted in response to a request for information from Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. The existence of the affidavit was first reported by NBC News.Daniella Hegseth said that she “did not personally witness physical or sexual abuse by Hegseth.” Samantha Hegseth said in a statement that there was no physical abuse during her marriage to Hegseth. A lawyer for his ex-wife did not respond to the previously unreported allegation.Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Pete Hegseth, wrote in an email: “As NBC is well aware, the actual participant, Samantha has denied these false allegations, yet NBC continues to irresponsibly report false allegations by an uninvolved third party as if they were fact.”Despite Thursday’s vote, Hegseth is still not in the clear. Four GOP senators joining all 47 Democrats on the final vote would result in Hegseth falling short of the majority he needs to be confirmed.While Sens. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., confirmed they would vote in favor of Hegseth and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, reiterated her support for him Thursday, several others remained on the fence.Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he would vote to advance Hegseth’s nomination and appeared to be leaning in favor of final passage as he investigated the myriad allegations against Hegseth.“I’m still examining the record ... I go through extensive due diligence,” Tillis said Thursday. “I have talked to numerous people. I have spent hours on the phone. I have yet to find one instance of a first-hand account with corroboration to support the allegations. If I find that, then it would influence my vote.“But I’ve completed due diligence, and I’ve looked for it, and I haven’t found it,” Tillis said.Wicker, the Armed Services chairman, foreshadowed just how close a final vote on Hegseth might be, suggesting that Vice President JD Vance may be needed to break a 50-50 tie.“If I were JD Vance, I’d stick around,” Wicker said.Trump appointments and nomineesHere are some of the people that President-elect Donald Trump has named for high-profile positions in his administration. Nominations and picks are not official until Trump is officially in office. ■ Requires Senate confimation ■ Confirmed by Senate ■ Failed Senate confirmationvar pymParent = new pym.Parent('trump-admin', 'https://media.nbcnewyork.com/assets/editorial/national/2024/trump-admin-noms/index.html', {title: '', parenturlparam: '', parenturlvalue: ''});Source: NBC NewsSpeaking in opposition of Hegseth’s nomination, Reed, the top Democrat on Armed Services, said on the Senate floor that he believed the FBI’s initial background check into Hegseth was rushed and incomplete. He added that the FBI has had to give him two additional briefings on Hegseth since then, including Wednesday night.“Before Mr. Hegseth’s hearing, I was alarmed that investigators had neglected to contact critical witnesses and whistle blowers, and I urged them to reopen the investigation,” Reed said in his floor speech. “During my experience on the Armed Services Committee, it is unprecedented that the FBI has returned to my office two more times, as recently as last night, to provide additional information on the nominee.“Frankly, I still do not believe the background investigation is complete,” he said.This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:Senate confirms John Ratcliffe to be CIA directorFederal district court judge temporarily blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship orderTrump’s threat to Moscow on Ukraine seen as an insulting false start by some in Russia

Pamela Hemphill, 71, who served 60 days in prison after pleading guilty to her role in the 2021 attack, believes there should be no pardons.

Patel has long raged against the so-called Deep State and prioritized his loyalty to Trump.

Senator Tillis expressed support for President Trump's executive actions to reinforce southern border security and criticized the Biden Administration's border management.

The Combating Cartels on Social Media Act was introduced to stop drug cartels from recruiting American teens online.

Republicans are on the verge of giving President-elect Trump a big win on immigration to kick off his second term — and doing it with the help of Democrats while dividing the minority party on the hot-button issue. The GOP spent years pillorying the Biden administration for being weak on the border and immigration, with [...]

Senator Thom Tillis honored the late Greensboro Police Officer Michael Horan for his commitment to service and impact on the community.

Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Justice, echoed attacks on the agency she would lead if confirmed, but demurred on how she might handle tests of its independence. Bondi is a more traditional pick to lead the department than Trump’s initial choice, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). She’s a longtime prosecutor [...]

She is President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney general.

Trump's attorney general pick, Pam Bondi, to face questioning from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is laying down a highly ambitious timeline to approve President-elect Donald Trump’s big-ticket legislative agenda.

Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, here at a Senate Judiciary hearing in September, is among five vulnerable senators for 2026, according to Inside Elections' initial battleground map.