We learned three things from Senator Thom Tillis’ April recess: he’s got questionable beliefs on basic personal hygiene, he’s too afraid of President Trump to even say drinking bleach is bad, and he thinks “vanity is insanity” and folks should wear a mask while in public. 

Now, as the President repeatedly refuses to wear a mask, a new video asks whether Senator Tillis will stand up to Trump and tell him – like he told North Carolinians – to wear a mask.

Tillis has repeatedly told North Carolinians to wear a mask – even chastising North Carolinians who don’t:

• “And really, everyone wear a mask. I tell everyone who feels uncomfortable because of their vanity, I think right now vanity is insanity.”
• “I believe in leading by example, and so I’ve not asked anybody to do anything that I’m not doing myself. The day that the COVID task force recommended wearing a mask, I put on a mask.”
• “So we need to understand that right now, if those of you who watch the videos of those young people at spring break knowing that they were exposing themselves to the virus, you remember the emotions that that evoked in you, how silly it was? Well when I look at somebody out in public without a mask on, I think of them as I do those young people who were on that beach, who many got infected with the disease. Folks, we’ve got to wear the mask.”
• “My wife actually took a tshirt or a scrap of cloth and made one with some string. The key is just something that will cover your nose and your mouth. It may not look pretty, but it’s beautiful to me if it’s stopping the spread of the virus.”
• “I tell everybody, vanity is insanity. Get over your vanity, wear the mask.”

Last week, President Trump toured a mask factory and did not wear a mask days after the Vice President had to backtrack his refusal to wear a mask at the Mayo Clinic. Earlier this week, the White House required staff to wear face masks – yet President Trump still refuses.

Trump’s refusal and Tillis’ strongly held belief make us wonder: will Tillis tell Trump “vanity is insanity” and that he should “lead by example” by wearing a mask, or will he again show not even the slightest amount of spine with the President?

We’ll put our money on the latter. While we may have learned a few new things this past recess, Senator Tillis sticking by his firmly held beliefs when they run counter to President Trump wasn’t one of them.