On Feb. 13, I submitted to the Post some thoughts on Senator Thom Tillis. I shared my disappointment that he had proven himself to be so unreliable to North Carolinians across the political spectrum. But, like Charlie Brown charging for the football, I’ve woken up every day since that letter hoping that Tillis will prove me wrong. Unfortunately, he has mastered the role of Lucy.

On March 24, we learned that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sent the details of an imminent attack on Houthi forces in Yemen to a group chat on the Signal app. That group included the other senior Trump administration officials, one of whom was in Russia at the time. This carelessness with the lives of our service members was shocking.

Recall that Tillis was the deciding vote to confirm Hegseth. Since the messages became public, there has been no accountability. Hegseth lied to the public about the information he shared. Other officials lied to Congress about it. The administration seems to not to care that they endangered our men and women in uniform and Tillis seems uninterested in holding them to account. No speeches. No outrage. Nothing. He appears more interested in protecting himself from a primary challenge than in protecting our troops.

This community taught me that there is a promise we make to those who serve. They make great sacrifices for our country. We take care to spend those sacrifices with humility and prudence, and tend to their needs when they come home. When I was in the Navy, I found myself increasingly concerned that this sacred covenant is fraying. Thom Tillis seems willing to let it come undone. He has failed to hold up his end of the bargain. I encourage you to call his office and insist that he do so.

— Jacob Morton
China Grove