Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) failed to show up on the March 17, 2026 vote to bring up the SAVE America Act for debate, claiming later that while he agreed with the bill in principle, he doesn’t see a path forward for getting it passed into law. The legislation would overhaul federal election laws, requiring individuals to present valid identification proving their citizenship when registering to vote.
The bill also requires voters to present photo ID when they show up to the polls to cast their ballots as well, which includes mail-in votes. Democrats oppose the SAVE America Act, saying that extra paperwork might discourage individuals from going to the polls to vote. Many conservatives feel that this is just an excuse, claiming that Democrats want illegal aliens to be able to vote and help them win elections.
On March 17, the Senate voted in favor of bringing the legislation up for debate by a vote of 51-48. The week prior to the vote, Tillis spoke with reporters and said, “People on my side of the aisle — and people at the far right of the political spectrum — are trying to swing for the fences, and they’re not going to succeed. And we’re not going to have more states with more voter ID, which is what I want. In the process, we are setting up vulnerable Republicans for a more difficult environment than they already have.”
According to WCNC, President Donald Trump has issued a call for revisions to be made to the House-passed version of the legislation. One change the president requested was to include largely banning voting by mail, along with several prohibitions on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports and gender-affirming care for minors.
Tillis was savaged online for refusing to show his solidarity with the rest of the GOP in championing election integrity by users on social media platform X. Mat Van Swol, who posted about Tillis missing the vote, said, “North Carolina Senator, Thom Tillis COMPLETELY MISSED THE VOTE on the motion to move forward the SAVE Act. He didn’t show up. Absolutely unbelievable.”
Another individual scorched Tillis by posting a meme that featured polling data that revealed the majority of American voters fully support the SAVE Act. According to the data, 71% of Democrats support the bill, while 95% of Republicans back it. An overall total of 83% think the SAVE Act is a good idea. “Hey @SenThomTillis — Aren’t you a ‘representative’ of the American people?”
A third user roasted Tillis by writing, “I wonder if @SenThomTillis had a lunch date with Soros, that he couldn’t cancel.” This is a reference to radical leftist billionaire George Soros who has used his vast fortune to push the progressive agenda through shady means, including hiring protesters to demonstrate against Republican and conservative causes.
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Another post on X referred to Tillis as an “empty seat wasting space” due to his announcement in June 2025 that he would not be seeking re-election in 2026. “Senator Thom Tillis announced he will not be seeking reelection in 2026. He is an empty seat wasting space and should go down in history as a traitor. President came down heavy on him due to his opposition to the Big, Beautiful Bill.”