Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina on Sunday, 28 June warned that continued Republican attacks on the integrity of US elections risk eroding public confidence in American democracy, urging his party to campaign on policy achievements instead of relitigating electoral disputes ahead of the November midterm elections. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, Tillis also called for the removal of Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, saying Pulte should not remain in office.

Tillis's Warning on Election Rhetoric

'I am concerned that we're going to continue to cast doubt on elections in November and erode what has been a 250-year tradition of a peaceful transition of power,' Tillis said during the interview. The senator argued that questioning election legitimacy before the midterms would hurt, not help, Republican prospects.

Tillis specifically pushed back against pressure to fast-track new election rules in his home state. 'I have people telling me I need to implement the SAVE Act immediately in North Carolina, in a state that has voter I.D.,' he said, questioning the rationale for additional measures. 'Why are we doing more things to undermine our confidence in elections, rather than getting the strong message out that will win for Republicans this year?'

The Strategic Case He Made to His Party

Rather than revisiting past election disputes, Tillis urged fellow Republicans to focus on governance and policy results. 'Talk about the emergence and the rise of the Democrat Socialists of America, accept that the voting laws are going to be fundamentally what they are today, win by them,' he said. 'Win by the good results that Republicans have produced, and stop undermining confidence in the elections.'

Notably, Tillis's remarks represent one of the more direct public rebukes from within the Republican Party ahead of a midterm cycle in which election integrity messaging is expected to feature prominently.

Sharp Criticism of DNI Bill Pulte

Tillis reserved some of his sharpest criticism for Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, saying he is 'singularly responsible' for Section 702 intelligence authorities 'beginning to go dark because of a lack of confidence' in his leadership. 'I don't think he should be in the administration, let alone in charge of DNI,' Tillis said. 'He needs to get out. We need to get a credible person in the role.'

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is a critical legal authority that allows US intelligence agencies to collect communications of foreign targets. Any erosion of confidence in its oversight carries significant national security implications.

Tillis Calls for Abolishing the DNI Office

Going further, Tillis argued that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) should ultimately be abolished altogether. 'I think, ultimately, we should end DNI and go back to the intelligence community, the posture that we had before 9/11,' he said, contending that after 25 years, the US should be capable of coordinating its intelligence agencies without a separate DNI structure.

The ODNI was established in 2004 following recommendations stemming from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, with the mandate to improve coordination across the country's 18-member intelligence community. It also serves as the principal intelligence adviser to the President.

What Comes Next

Tillis's public break with prevailing Republican messaging on elections and his call for Pulte's removal signal growing intra-party tension as the midterms approach. Whether his warnings gain traction within the GOP — or remain a minority view — will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.