No sooner had Sen. Tom Tillis, R-N.C., abandoned his bid for reelection on Sunday than speculation focused on a possible GOP nominee with a universally known name: Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of the president, Fox News commentator, and a native of Wilmington, North Carolina.

“Lara Trump would clear the field — no question about it!” veteran Raleigh policy analyst Marc Rotterman told Newsmax. “She is beloved here in North Carolina, and the base that loves her father would embrace her.”

(Regarding Tillis, whose vote against Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill on Saturday evening provoked the president’s wrath and vow to campaign against him, Rotterman said: “The [conservative] base here views him as Mitt Romney without the hair gel!”)

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.