'Utter disgrace': 'Coward' Thom Tillis enrages internet with fate-sealing vote on Hegseth

Social media critics raked Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) over the coals after he, along with Vice President J.D. Vance, proved to be the deciding votes to confirm former Fox News weekend co-host Pete Hegseth to serve as President Donald Trump's secretary of Defense.

The overall vote count Friday night was 51-50, with three Republican Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) all breaking rank and voting no, forcing Vance to break the tie. It marked just the second time in modern history a vice president has had to do so.

Hegseth was a hot button for the Trump administration, as he faced serious questions about both his qualifications to run the Pentagon and allegations that he committed sexual assault and had a serious drinking problem.

Social media users blasted Tillis, whose vote was said to be up in the air heading into the vote. As the vote got underway late Friday, Hegseth shared on X a letter he sent to Tillis addressing Tillis' request for a detailed answer to the allegations outlined by his former sister-in-law.

"Thom Tillis is up for reelection in 2026 and he provided the deciding vote for this," wrote Jonathan Ladd, a political scientist and associate professor at Georgetown, on Bluesky.

"[T]hom tillis should hope for the sake of his electoral future that Hegseth doesn't lead the us military into a catastrophe," replied New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie.

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In a separate post, he wrote: "[V]ery excited to see what happens when you make a deeply compromised addict the leader of the department of defense and subordinate to a madman."

"Thom Tillis is afraid Mark Robinson is going to primary him. He knows Hegseth is unqualified and can't do the job. God d--- coward," wrote Democratic strategist Mike Nellis on Bluesky.

In a separate post, Nellis called Tillis a "coward."

"Never give MAGA the benefit of the doubt. People like Thom Tillis will always disappoint. As will the rest of them," the social media account Art Candee wrote on Bluesky.

"[A]n utter menace.. Tillis or any other R up in 2026 should get the boot if they vote to confirm," MSNBC contributor Jen Rubin wrote on Bluesky.

In a separate post after he was confirmed, she continued laying into the senator.

"NC, you know what to do. Tillis puts his own political fortunes ahead of the safety and security of the armed services and the American people. An utter disgrace," she wrote.

Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified the owner of the social media account "Art Candee." This article has been updated.