Sen. Thom Tillis, one of the three Republican senators who tested positive for coronavirus in the past week, said Tuesday he has no symptoms and is on the path to be cleared in time to participate in the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
"My doctors are very pleased with my results," the North Carolina Republican said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "All my vital signs are above average. I actively work out, [and] my heart rate, blood oxygen, everything is fantastic. I feel very blessed."
The senator said he decided to be tested for coronavirus after he heard Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, had tested positive. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has also tested positive for the virus.
"I feel great and am on a path to be cleared and be back in the capitol for the hearings," said Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
He said he expects to participate in the hearings in person and virtually.
The hearings are to start next Monday, with a vote being taken either on Thursday or Friday.
Tillis said he expects the Democrats' grilling of Barrett to be "every bit as bad" as it was for Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
"I think they will use their surrogates to attack Judge Barrett but we won't give them a pass on it," said Tillis. "They are attacking Judge Barrett behind the scenes and what they are really trying to do is keep an opening so they confirm a liberal activist judge ... this is theater to shift the attention away from a highly qualified judge who's going to get confirmed."
Tillis also Tuesday said his Democrat challenger, Cal Cunningham, owes the people a full explanation after being caught up in a sexting scandal.
"His family should be kept private," said Tillis. "He's got teenage children. But Cal owes all of the voters a full and thorough explanation for what we now know are two separate events."
Cunningham is an officer in the military and subject to disciplinary action there, Tillis added.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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