Trump Pushes GOP to Scrap Filibuster Amid Ongoing Government Shutdown
Former President Donald Trump has once again made headlines, this time by urging Republican leaders to take what he calls the “nuclear option” — ending the Senate filibuster — to break the ongoing government shutdown, which has now stretched into its fourth week.
In a late-night post on Truth Social, Trump passionately called on the GOP to act decisively, saying, “Get rid of the filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” He argued that doing so would immediately resolve the funding deadlock that has paralyzed Washington for weeks. The message followed his recent return from an Asia trip, during which he said the issue of the shutdown came up repeatedly.
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Trump claimed that Democrats were to blame for the government closure and questioned why Republicans were allowing it to continue. He praised Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson for their leadership during the crisis but accused Democrats of what he described as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” According to Trump, the opposition is pushing for trillions in spending that would divert funds from American healthcare programs to people “who have come into our country illegally,” something he said Republicans will never support.
This isn’t the first time the debate over the filibuster — a long-standing Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation — has flared up. Trump reminded his followers that Democrats had once tried to end it during the Biden administration but were blocked by then-Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, both of whom have since left the Democratic Party. He pointed out that if Democrats were in power now, they “would do it on their first day.”
The former president framed his proposal as a way for Republicans to “play their Trump card” and push through their legislative goals without obstruction. He also linked the idea back to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s 2013 move, which eliminated the 60-vote threshold for most executive and judicial nominations — a precedent Trump suggested could now be expanded.
As the shutdown continues, both parties are locked in a blame game, with Democrats accusing Trump and Republicans of political brinkmanship, while the GOP insists it’s fighting reckless spending and misplaced priorities. Still, Trump’s renewed push to end the filibuster adds another layer of pressure on GOP lawmakers, forcing them to weigh short-term political gains against a major procedural change that could reshape how the Senate operates for decades.
Whether Republicans will heed Trump’s call remains uncertain, but one thing is clear — the battle over the filibuster has once again become a symbol of the deep political divide in Washington, with no easy end in sight to the shutdown.
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