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Sen. Thom Tillis’s Profanity-Laced Texts to Trump Revealed Ahead of Memoir

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 7 outlets. No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered it yet.

7 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Retiring North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis sent a series of profanity-laced text messages to President Donald Trump earlier in 2026, according to details published by Politico’s Playbook newsletter and set to appear in Tillis’s forthcoming memoir, “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents.” In a May 22 message, Tillis wrote that he would not tolerate “bulls--t” from anyone, including the president, and said “we are failing.” In a June 6 message, Tillis wrote that if Trump had ever directly threatened him with a primary challenge, he would have told him to “f--k yourself.” The book, covering Tillis’s falling-out with Trump, is due out the following week.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Tillis sent Trump a text on May 22 saying he would not accept “bulls--t” from anyone, including the president.

    Reported byLeftRight

  2. Tillis sent a second text on June 6 saying he would have told Trump to “f--k yourself” if Trump had directly threatened him with a primary challenge.

    Reported byLeftRight

  3. The texts are set to appear in Tillis’s forthcoming memoir, “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents,” due for release the following week.

    Reported byLeftRight

  4. The messages were first reported by Politico’s Playbook newsletter.

    Reported byLeftRight

  5. Tillis announced in June 2025 that he would not seek reelection after voting against Trump’s tax-and-spending bill.

    Reported byLeftRight

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. The Independent reports that Trump publicly attacked Tillis on Truth Social around the time of the May 22 text, calling him “weak and ineffective.”

    Reported byLeft

  2. The Western Journal reports that Trump had in fact threatened Tillis with a primary challenge shortly before Tillis announced his retirement.

    Reported byRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Whether Trump ever directly threatened Tillis with a primary challenge.

    Tillis’s own text, quoted by left-leaning outlets, states Trump never directly threatened him. The Western Journal, a right-leaning outlet, states that Trump did threaten Tillis with a primary challenge shortly before his retirement announcement.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Left-leaning outlets emphasize the raw, uncensored profanity and anger in Tillis’s messages and place them in the context of Trump’s own public attacks on him.

    GOP Sen. Thom Tillis Reveals The Expletive-Filled Texts He Sent To Trump
    HuffPostFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    4 outlets

    Right-leaning outlets, including one far-right outlet reproducing a shared wire-style report, describe the texts as “explosive” or “confrontational” and highlight Tillis’s combative personality and motives for publicizing them.

    Tillis’ memoir due out Tuesday laden with profanity, bravado
    The Center SquareRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left5

    foul-mouthedFuriousExposedunleashed

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right6

    explosivetumultuousblastsfiery opposition

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    foul-mouthedMore neutral: profanity-laced

    Adds a judgmental characterization of the senator’s language beyond describing it as profane.

    A furious GOP senator’s foul-mouthed text messages to President Trump have been revealed.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    FuriousMore neutral: Angry

    Characterizes the senator’s emotional state as fact rather than reporting it neutrally.

    Furious Republican Senator’s Explicit Texts to Trump Exposed

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    ExposedMore neutral: Revealed

    Suggests wrongdoing was uncovered rather than simply reporting that messages were published.

    Furious Republican Senator’s Explicit Texts to Trump Exposed

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    unleashedMore neutral: sent

    Implies a dramatic, uncontrolled outburst rather than neutrally describing that messages were sent.

    Senator Thom Tillis unleashed profanity-laced broadsides against President Donald Trump in a series of private…

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

Show 7 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    broadsidesMore neutral: messages

    Frames the texts as an attack rather than describing their content neutrally.

    Senator Thom Tillis unleashed profanity-laced broadsides against President Donald Trump in a series of private messages earlier this year,…

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

  • Sensational language

    explosiveMore neutral: private

    Repeats a dramatic characterization not supported by neutral description of the texts.

    As Republican Senator Thom Tillis prepares to leave Capitol Hill, he's dropped explosive private messages between him and President Donald Trump, shedding new light on their…

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    tumultuousMore neutral: strained

    Characterizes the relationship in dramatic terms rather than describing specific disagreements.

    …between him and President Donald Trump, shedding new light on their already tumultuous relationship.

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    blastsMore neutral: criticizes

    Adds a combative judgment to the act of sending a critical message.

    Republican Senator's explosive private texts to Trump revealed as he blasts president with profanity-laced missive

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    fiery oppositionMore neutral: vocal opposition

    Characterizes Tillis’s stance with a dramatic label rather than describing specific disagreements.

    Thom Tillis of North Carolina has made no secret of his fiery opposition to President Donald Trump, but in a bid to sell a new book, he’s

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    ConfrontationalMore neutral: Pointed

    Pre-judges the tone of the texts rather than describing their content.

    GOP Senator's Confrontational, Profanity-Laced Text Messages to Trump Revealed in New Book

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Mercurial and bullyingMore neutral: known for a volatile approach

    Applies a harsh personality judgment to Trump as established fact rather than attributed opinion.

    (The Center Square) – Mercurial and bullying to anyone in his path, President Donald Trump and a number of key people in…

    Used byThe Center Square (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

3 outlets

Leads with

  • exact wording of the profanity
  • Trump’s prior public criticism of Tillis
  • Tillis’s record of breaking with Trump

Leaves out

  • claim that Trump had directly threatened Tillis with a primary challenge

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • HuffPostFar Left

    GOP Sen. Thom Tillis Reveals The Expletive-Filled Texts He Sent To Trump

    The North Carolina Republican is set to share a rough timeline of his falling-out with Trump in a new book, due out next week.

    Read at HuffPost (opens in a new tab)
  • The IndependentLeft

    Republican senator’s angry and profanity-laced texts to Trump revealed

    Thom Tillis wrote that, if the president had threatened him, he would have promptly told him to ‘f*** yourself’

    Read at The Independent (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily BeastFar Left

    Loaded modifier“Furious”Characterizes the senator’s emotional state as fact rather than reporting it neutrally.More neutral: AngryDisagree with this highlight? Republican Senator’s Explicit Texts to Trump Loaded verb“Exposed”Suggests wrongdoing was uncovered rather than simply reporting that messages were published.More neutral: RevealedDisagree with this highlight?

    A furious GOP senator’s Loaded modifier“foul-mouthed”Adds a judgmental characterization of the senator’s language beyond describing it as profane.More neutral: profanity-lacedDisagree with this highlight? text messages to President Trump have been revealed. The retiring North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis is no stranger to a bust-up with the president and is once again taking their scrap public in his forthcoming memoir, How to Lose Friends and …

    Read at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

4 outlets

Leads with

  • drama and tone of the confrontation
  • Tillis’s history of clashing with Trump on policy
  • framing around book promotion

Leaves out

  • Trump’s own public insults of Tillis on Truth Social and in interviews

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 4 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Center SquareRight

    Tillis’ memoir due out Tuesday laden with profanity, bravado

    (The Center Square) – Loaded modifier“Mercurial and bullying”Applies a harsh personality judgment to Trump as established fact rather than attributed opinion.More neutral: known for a volatile approachDisagree with this highlight? to anyone in his path, President Donald Trump and a number of key people in his administration have had their turns in conflict with U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, parts of which are exposed…

    Read at The Center Square (opens in a new tab)

    Also published by Just the News. It counts once.

  • The Western JournalFar Right

    GOP Senator's Loaded modifier“Confrontational”Pre-judges the tone of the texts rather than describing their content.More neutral: PointedDisagree with this highlight?, Profanity-Laced Text Messages to Trump Revealed in New Book

    Outgoing GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina has made no secret of his Loaded modifier“fiery opposition”Characterizes Tillis’s stance with a dramatic label rather than describing specific disagreements.More neutral: vocal oppositionDisagree with this highlight? to President Donald Trump, but in a bid to sell a new book, he’s

    Read at The Western Journal (opens in a new tab)
  • Daily MailRight

    Republican Senator's Sensational language“explosive”Exaggerates the significance of the texts to manufacture drama.More neutral: privateDisagree with this highlight? private texts to Trump revealed as he Loaded verb“blasts”Adds a combative judgment to the act of sending a critical message.More neutral: criticizesDisagree with this highlight? president with profanity-laced missive

    As Senator Thom Tillis prepares to leave Capitol Hill, he's dropped explosive private messages between him and President Donald Trump.

    Read at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
  • Just the NewsFar RightCenter Square report

    Tillis’ memoir due out Tuesday laden with profanity, bravado

    Just the News published a report that is shown in full at The Center Square.

    Read at Just the News (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    The Daily Beast, Oct 2, 7:52 AM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    5 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 2, 12:53 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 2, 7:52 AM EDT
  2. The IndependentLeftOct 2, 9:54 AM EDT
  3. Daily MailRightOct 2, 12:53 PM EDT
  4. HuffPostFar LeftOct 2, 1:46 PM EDT
  5. The Western JournalFar RightOct 2, 5:30 PM EDT
  6. The Center SquareRightOct 3, 1:31 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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