Former Republican operative Steve Schmidt sharply criticized Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) over his planned tell-all book targeting the Trump administration, arguing the project is hollow given the senator's continued alignment with the president's Justice Department.

Schmidt, a senior strategist on John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign who later co-founded the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project, has been among the most vocal former Republicans repudiating the party's transformation under Trump.

Speaking on The Jim Acosta Show, Schmidt addressed the GOP's broader failure to challenge President Donald Trump as Republicans moved to confirm Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche previously served as Trump's personal defense attorney before being nominated to the Justice Department. Schmidt noted that Tillis intends to write a book exposing what he describes as the degeneracy of MAGA insiders — calling them "MAGATs" — but said the effort carries no weight while Tillis and other Republicans continue to support Trump's DOJ. Tillis, who has at times publicly expressed concerns about Trump's rhetoric and policy positions, has nonetheless voted consistently with the administration on judicial and executive nominations.

"When there are people like Thom Tillis, who says he's going to write a book, exposing the degeneracy of the MAGA insiders, MAGATs he calls them. He's a maggot," Schmidt said. "He's on their team. He showers with Stephen Miller. What doesn't Thom Tillis understand about that? He scratches his back. They share a towel."

Schmidt said his objection to Blanche stems from the assertion that Blanche, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, and former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem "weaponized federal law enforcement agencies against the American people, have made it routine to harass, to prosecute and try to lock up innocent people in the United States in 2026."

Schmidt called that "disqualifying conduct" for anyone seeking association with the Department of Justice, adding that "it would be tolerated by any United States Senator in any party for any reason is inexcusable."

Host Jim Acosta echoed Schmidt's criticism of Tillis's planned book. "He totally, totally chickened out," Acosta said. "It's disgraceful."

Schmidt drew a historical parallel to Nazi general Dietrich von Choltitz, who refused Hitler's orders to burn Paris. "Choltitz was no hero," Schmidt said. "He was a committed Nazi. In the end, he denounced the Nazis, talked about how they hypnotized everybody. He went along, and he was no hero."

Connecting the reference back to Blanche and Tillis, Schmidt concluded: "There are some people that are not going to be heroes in this, but are going to make it stop. Thom Tillis is not one of those people."

The episode also featured Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, along with Steve Schmidt and Adam Mockler. Acosta additionally called out Senator Bill Cassidy for voting to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General. Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in the 2021 impeachment trial, yet has continued to support key administration nominees.

Source: Raw Story | Politico