Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina writes that his vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary in January 2025 was the “biggest regret of my career,” according to reports on his book, due to be published Tuesday.
In interviews Monday, Tillis said he regretted supporting Hegseth and criticized his management of the Pentagon. He said Hegseth was “an actor. He’s not a manager,” and said the secretary had not shown knowledge of the Defense Department. Tillis also writes that he should have opposed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Health and Human Services secretary, PBS reported. In the book, “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents,” Tillis says he did not want to be the only person blocking President Donald Trump’s nominees at the time, according to the Associated Press report.