North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis characterized the second impeachment of Donald Trump over the January 6 Capitol riot as substantive and damaging to Trump's standing within the party, even as he ultimately voted to acquit.
Tillis used the term "weighty" to describe the impeachment charge and called the Senate trial "a vote of no confidence" in Trump. The remarks came during an appearance on MSNBC's "The Beat with Ari Melber" as Tillis promotes his forthcoming book "How to Lose Friends and...," which examines his political journey and decision-making.
The characterization reflects the complicated position many Senate Republicans faced after the January 6 Capitol breach. Trump was impeached by the House on a single charge of incitement of insurrection on January 13, 2021, just one week after the riot. The Senate convened for trial in February 2021, where 57 senators voted to convict Trump, including seven Republicans. However, conviction required 67 votes, leaving the verdict 10 votes short. Tillis voted to acquit Trump.
Tillis, a senior Republican senator first elected in 2014, has maintained a complex relationship with Trump throughout his presidency and after. The senator's willingness to characterize the impeachment trial publicly as a "vote of no confidence" suggests he views the proceedings as carrying weight beyond the mere acquittal outcome. His framing acknowledges the seriousness of the charges while his vote to acquit aligned with Republican efforts to shield Trump from removal and its political fallout.
The second Trump impeachment marked a historic moment. It was only the second presidential impeachment ever to result in a bipartisan vote to convict, after Andrew Johnson's 1868 trial. The trial took place amid broader Republican Party tension over how to address Trump's role in the Capitol riot and his ongoing influence over party direction.
Tillis has positioned himself as a pragmatic conservative willing to disagree with Trump on specific issues while maintaining general party alignment. His statements about the impeachment trial reflect this balancing act. By calling it "weighty" and a "vote of no confidence," Tillis acknowledges the January 6 events required serious accountability and that the trial registered Republican doubts about Trump. Yet his acquittal vote allowed him to avoid crossing the threshold into supporting removal from office.
The timing of these remarks, tied to his book release, suggests Tillis is using the memoir to explore his decision-making during the Trump era and the Capitol riot's aftermath. The book title itself, left incomplete in the reporting, hints at the personal and political costs Tillis may have experienced or perceived from his positions.
For Senate Republicans broadly, the impeachment trial split the conference between those who voted to convict and those who, like Tillis, acquitted Trump. That division persists as the party navigates Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and his continuing dominance over Republican electoral strategy and base sentiment. Tillis's public acknowledgment of the impeachment's weight signals Republicans continue grappling with January 6's legacy and Trump's role in it, even as most Senate Republicans ultimately opposed conviction.