Tillis vows to keep blocking Fed nominee and says Trump should apologize for pope attacks

WASHINGTON — During an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo that aired Wednesday, President Donald Trump suggested Sen.

WASHINGTON — During an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo that aired Wednesday, President Donald Trump suggested Sen. Thom Tillis, a centrist Republican who has occasionally broken with the president, “already quit” the Senate and wouldn’t be a factor in confirming his nominees.

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But Tillis is still here. And as a member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, he’s exercising his ability to single-handedly block Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell as the head of the Federal Reserve.

In an extensive interview with NBC News, Tillis called Warsh “a perfect candidate,” but maintained that he would not vote to confirm him until the Trump administration ends its federal criminal probe into Powell.