Senator Tillis over the weekend repeatedly refused to say when he last tested negative for COVID, even as he returns to in-person campaigning and spent the week in Washington at in-person hearings with other Republican Senators who have tested positive. When pressed again whether he was tested “recently,” Senator Tillis said “no.”

Senator Tillis’ latest comments reflect how he’s been inconsistent in following public health guidelines around the coronavirus, culminating in him testing positive after attending a White House super spreader event. In August, Tillis was forced to apologize after he was caught without a mask on at a White House event. Senator Tillis was again caught maskless at the White House two months later, this time at an indoor political event which public health officials now describe as a super spreader event.

Just last week, Senator Tillis returned to Washington to ram through a Supreme Court nominee who is hostile to our health care without producing a single negative COVID test even as public health officials including Dr. Fauci have recommended two negative tests. Other Republican Senators who tested positive attended the same hearing.

North Carolinians have taken notice of Senator Tillis’ refusal to follow proper COVID precautions:

• “From the very beginning, our leadership at the national level has not taken this pandemic seriously. They have downplayed it. They have not done what needs to be done.”

• “I believe it is incredibly irresponsible and has unfortunately encouraged too many to follow the president and his administration’s example. I think it demonstrates a profound lack of concern for the safety of the people this administration is tasked with protecting.”

“Senator Tillis continues to put his own personal politics over public health by refusing to consistently follow public health guidelines and telling North Carolinians when he last tested negative,” NCDP spokesperson Robert Howard said. “Senator Tillis has not taken this pandemic seriously, especially when public health guidelines get in the way of his own reelection efforts, and North Carolinians are noticing.”