Donald Trump on Thursday night called on Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster to bring an end to the ongoing government shutdown and the standoff with Democrats.
“BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE GONE STONE COLD ‘CRAZY,’ THE CHOICE IS CLEAR – INITIATE THE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION,’ GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
The filibuster is a way for a relatively small group of senators to block action by the majority. The filibuster rule allows a minority of 41 senators to prevent a vote on most kinds of legislation. The Senate majority leader, John Thune, a Republican known for defending Senate traditions, has repeatedly rejected proposals to weaken or remove the 60-vote rule.
With the shutdown now stretching into its 30th day, there remains no clear resolution, though lawmakers from both parties have expressed some willingness to compromise.
Both parties have limited the filibuster’s scope over time, but Trump’s latest appeal intensifies the debate over whether to eliminate it completely. Such a move would require only a simple majority of 51 votes. While a few Senate Republicans have indicated possible support, most remain opposed.
With 53 Republicans in total in the Senate currently, Trump may lack sufficient backing for his proposed “nuclear option” if several Republicans don’t support his plan.
John Curtis, a Republican senator from Utah, reaffirmed his opposition to ending the rule that mandates 60 votes to advance legislation, rejecting Trump’s suggestion. “The filibuster forces us to find common ground in the Senate. Power changes hands, but principles shouldn’t. I’m a firm no on eliminating it,” Curtis stated on social media.
Similarly, Thom Tillis, a Republican senator from North Carolina, said last week that “the filibuster is not going away this Congress … I think Republicans have made that very clear.”
However, some Senate Republicans have expressed openness to Trump’s idea. Among them is Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who described the proposal as “probably a viable option”.
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Currently, Senate Republicans could technically vote to alter chamber rules, setting a new precedent that exempts government-funding bills from the filibuster requirement.
The House speaker, Mike Johnson, said in a press conference on Friday that he had not talked to Trump since the president posted on Thursday night calling to get rid of the filibuster. He spoke about the downsides of taking the “nuclear option”, but avoided directly disagreeing with Trump.
“The filibuster has traditionally been viewed as a very important safeguard. If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t think our team would like it,” Johnson said.
