U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis attended a fundraising event in Raleigh Friday — sparking a sea of protesters across the street who oppose his unwillingness to meet with constituents in town hall-style meetings. Tillis has said he wouldn’t attend such meetings, citing safety concerns following alleged threats against the senator.
Tillis' office released a letter it received recently that read, “When things get really bad, people are going to stop calling and writing. They’re going to start coming in, and they’re going to be coming in filled with rage”
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The office also shared voicemails Tillis' office have received.
"And I suggest, well you’re going to have be careful going out in public or talking to anybody that’s real, that’s an actual American, because we hate you," one person in in a voicemail to Tillis' office.
Last week, Congressman Chuck Edwards (R-NC), hosted a town hall in Asheville in front of a rowdy audience frustrated with Donald Trump’s administration, less than two months into his second term as president.
Tillis' fundraiser began around 11 a.m. at Carolina Country Club.
Several dozen protestors, including members of the Triangle Labor Council and AFL-CIO, gathered across the street. Many said they wanted Tillis to appear at public town halls.
"We are his constituents, it's not Elon Musk. It's not this handful of billionaires. It's us, every day Americans...every day North Carolinians," Christine Barboriak said.
Protester Gene Hunter said that they want a calm conversation with the senator.
"We want Sen. Tillis to talk with us and we'd be happy to talk with him without all the shouting, but we need to start a conversation and we can't solve anything unless we talk," Hunter said.
Marine Corps veteran Jason King said he has tried to reach out to his legislators to no avail.
"I have been trying to get Thom Tillis, Ted Budd and the rest of the NC congressional delegation for weeks. They won't answer phone calls. They won't answer my emails. They won't return letters," King said.
In response to Friday's protest, Tillis' campaign manager Abby Roasch released the following statement:
“It’s no surprise that extreme left-wing groups are organizing protests outside of the Senator’s events, and it is always good to see citizens exercising their constitutional rights. Senator Tillis is focused on building a secure, conservative future for our country. Under his leadership at the state level, conservative policies have made North Carolina's economy one of the strongest in the nation, and it is his goal to do the same for our great country. After spending ten weeks in DC confirming President Trump’s nominees, securing our border, and cutting government waste, fraud, and abuse, Sen. Tillis is reinvigorated by his fellow North Carolinians to continue fighting to reverse the dangerous Biden Era agenda."
The NC GOP released a statement saying: "It’s clear left-wing agitators are working every day to threaten elected officials and intimidate anyone who supports making real change to how Washington operates. In just the past week, Sen. Tillis and others have faced escalating threats and violent messages. Democrats must condemn political violence and should do so today."
Protesters could be seen waving signs, cheered and calmly sang outside of the fundraiser. Many saying they just wanted a chance to talk, calmly with Tillis about their concerns about funding cuts and federal layoffs.
Tillis' fundraising event comes as he is facing a GOP challenger when he seeks reelection in 2026. Andy Nilsson, a businessman who’s active in Republican politics, filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission declaring his intention to run for the seat.