- "The volume of threats and harassment directed at members of Congress and their staff is the new normal and indicative of a much larger problem with the political discourse in our country," said Tillis' spokesperson.
Recent threats against US Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, have continued to grow, with graphic phone calls being released by his staff in a YouTube video. The threats reflect an unsettling trend in America’s civil society happening from the White House to local school boards.
A woman can be heard saying that the ‘joy of her week’ was hearing other phone calls that were made, including a man threatening to bash Tillis’ head with an ax handle, and that all the comments were ‘giving her life.’
In an expletive-laced call, a man said he ‘might drive to North Carolina and shoot him dead in the streets like the dog he is,’ describing how he hoped horrible things would happen to his wife and children in front of him.
Still, another call made by the same man said, ‘You’re all gonna die. Thom’s gonna die,’ with talk of his office being blown up with his staff inside and how all patriotic Americans will be clapping and thankful that it happened.
stoking the flames
The calls are part of a growing and disturbing trend against political figures in recent months, with some pointing the blame at extreme-left groups protesting President Donald Trump’s 2024 election.
Threats against Tillis are also drawing commentary from media, with the McClatchy paper in Tillis’ hometown, The Charlotte Observer, posting a column by the Editorial Board with the search engine title, “Threats against Tillis are wrong, but voters are scared too.”
Last week, a staffer sent an email to Carolina Journal regarding a handwritten letter mailed to Tillis’ Greenville office and postmarked from Greensboro in late February.
While the letter writer insisted “this should not be considered a threat,” they went on to declare that Senator Tillis’ staff members are “sacrificial lambs” who “signed up to be his shield” and implied they would soon be subject to the violence of angry mobs unless they resign or find a ‘Groupon’ for self-defense classes.
On March 6, local Democratic Party groups and the Indivisible Guilford County group organized a protest at US Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, Greensboro office. Indivisible at the national level was formed in response to Trump’s 2016 election and has geared back up with a new “guide” for followers to use at every level of government.
Tillis, his staff, and his family are no strangers to threats of violence.
A year ago, he received a threatening voicemail from a caller who said she would “find him and shoot him and cut him into pieces” if he voted in favor of legislation to ban the social media platform TikTok.
Tillis released the voicemail on his X account. The young woman, who threatens to shoot Tillis twice, in addition to “cutting him into pieces,” can be heard laughing throughout the message, saying that people make money from being on TikTok and that she is trying to get rich and TikTok is her only form of entertainment.
Last week’s email stated that while Tillis, his staff, and his family have long been subject to threats, harassment, attempted intimidation, and verbal abuse from unstable individuals who don’t agree with his political views, some of those who oppose him are taking it to a new, dangerous level.
“Democratic parties and established left-wing political groups protesting a Republican member of Congress is nothing new nor newsworthy,” the email states. “What is newsworthy is the volume of threats and harassment directed at members of Congress and their staff is the new normal and indicative of a much larger problem with the political discourse in our country. The current President of the United States was targeted for assassination not once but twice during the last campaign, and both attempts happened less than a year ago.”
The spokesperson said that law enforcement has since advised Tillis’ staff to telework on days they expect protesters out of an abundance of caution.
“We will not make any apologies for prioritizing the safety and security of our staff.”
Carolina Journal reached out to Tillis’ office for further comment and also to US Sen. Ted Budd’s R-NC office to see if he was receiving threats of any kind. Neither office responded prior to publication.
town halls
At a town hall meeting on Thursday at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-11, faced a barrage of angry outbursts directed at him over the Trump administration’s recent actions, including several federal job cuts being advised by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Had a lively town hall with my constituents in Asheville. We may not agree on every issue, but hearing the concerns of Western North Carolinians and answering your questions will continue to be a priority of mine. If you weren’t able to join, stay tuned for information about my… pic.twitter.com/6UU98Q3jld
— Congressman Chuck Edwards (@RepChuckEdwards) March 14, 2025
Reports estimate that nearly 2,000 people gathered outside the 360-seat Ferguson Auditorium.
Inside, Edwards was drowned out multiple times by people booing and shouting at him, including after he said he was proud to have voted for the House Budget Resolution.
People were heard screaming, “You aren’t allowed to cut our jobs,” “Are you afraid of Trump?”, and “Do your job!”
In an emailed statement to Carolina Journal, Edwards said being accessible, listening, and answering questions for the people of western North Carolina are among his favorite activities.
“We may not agree on every issue, but hearing the concerns of Western North Carolinians and answering their questions will continue to be a priority of mine,” he said. “I was able to answer questions from multiple different constituents at the town hall and dispel some of the misinformation currently being spread around. I look forward to doing so again soon at my upcoming tele-town hall.”
threats are at an all-time high
Legislators in Raleigh are also taking notice of threats and say it is happening to local public servants too. Threatening state-level politicians, such as legislators, judges, and the governor, is already a felony under state law, but a new bill raises the classification.
House Bill 95, Threaten Elected Official/Increase Punishment, which is on the calendar for Wednesday, would raise threatening local politicians, like city council or school board members, from a misdemeanor to a felony.
The scrutiny on this issue comes as North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin and his family have endured non-stop harassment and threats of violence, including death threats, over the past four months. Following the November election, Griffin filed a lawsuit contesting more than 65,000 ballots cast in November’s general election for a seat on the state Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs leads Griffin by 734 votes out of more than 5.5 million ballots cast.
Threats and harassment haven’t stopped, even after the announcement of the recent passing of Griffin’s daughter, Maggie, who was born prematurely at 23 weeks, according to family attorney Blannie Miller, who said they have only gotten worse.
What’s also disturbing, Miller said, is that some in the media are questioning the timing of the announcement.
She said it was insinuated by media reports that the family was trying to find an angle for the best PR timing for a child’s death. Reporters told her that the timing was “weird” and why not six months ago, before the election.
With the cynicism of the reporting, Miller asked, “Where do you draw the line?”
A report published by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point issued a report over the summer that shows threats against public officials are at an all-time high. From 2013-2016 there was an average of 38 federal charges per year and an average of 62 charges per year between 2017-2022. In 2023, there were 82 people charged with threats against public officials, and in 2024, there were 108 cases.