President Donald Trump is urging Republicans to take bold, unprecedented action to end the monthlong government shutdown — and he wants them to do it by eliminating the Senate filibuster.
In a late-night post on Truth Social, the former president passionately made his case for dismantling the procedural rule that allows a minority of senators to block legislation, even when the majority is in favor.
He argued that removing the filibuster would allow Republicans to push through critical legislation and end the shutdown immediately.
Trump's call for action comes at a time when Republicans are locked in a tense standoff with Democrats, who are demanding significant concessions in exchange for ending the shutdown.
The deadlock, which has persisted for weeks, has left millions of federal employees furloughed and critical services in jeopardy. Trump’s message, however, highlights the growing frustration among conservative lawmakers, who feel that they are being held hostage by a minority in the Senate — particularly those senators who have used the filibuster to block legislation that could end the crisis.
"Get rid of the filibuster, and get rid of it now!" Trump declared, urging Republicans to take the "nuclear option" — a tactic that would change Senate rules and eliminate the filibuster altogether.
While the filibuster has been a central part of Senate procedure for centuries, Trump argues that it’s time to discard the outdated practice in order to advance the conservative agenda and provide much-needed relief to the American people.
He pointed to the Democrats’ failed attempt to abolish the filibuster under the Biden administration as evidence that it’s a tactic Republicans should adopt.
Trump’s appeal to eliminate the filibuster is also deeply political. He criticized Democrats for what he called their "crazed lunatic" behavior and accused them of wanting to "destroy" the country by demanding trillions of dollars to be taken from American healthcare systems and handed to illegal immigrants. Trump’s frustration with the shutdown is palpable, and he sees the filibuster as a primary obstacle to achieving legislative victory.
The former president’s focus on the filibuster comes amid the ongoing debate about the shutdown, which has now stretched into its fourth week.
Both sides are at an impasse, with Republicans blaming Democrats for their refusal to compromise on spending cuts and border security, while Democrats argue that Republicans are refusing to address the needs of American workers and the underprivileged. Trump has made it clear that the solution lies in Republican strength and resolve.
“Why did the powerful Republicans allow this to happen?” Trump wrote in his post. “They want trillions of dollars to be taken from our healthcare system and given to others, who are not deserving—people who have come into our country illegally, many from prisons and mental institutions.”
Trump’s criticism of illegal immigration is a central theme in his rhetoric, and he has consistently framed the issue as a major national security and economic threat.
Trump’s remarks have sparked an internal debate among Senate Republicans. While some conservative senators are in favor of eliminating the filibuster to push through key parts of the GOP agenda, others are more hesitant, fearing that doing so would permanently alter the Senate’s balance of power.
The filibuster has long been a tool for minority parties to have a say in legislation, and its removal would effectively allow the majority party to enact laws with only a simple majority vote.
However, Trump’s message underscores his belief that the stakes are too high to worry about procedural norms. He has always been a disruptive force in politics, challenging the established norms and arguing that the Republican Party must take bold, decisive action to secure its political future.
The shutdown, in his view, is a perfect example of the failures of traditional politics.
In addition to his call for eliminating the filibuster, Trump also criticized Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who have been working to find a compromise with Democrats.
While Trump praised their efforts, he suggested that they needed to take more decisive action to push the agenda forward. His message: Republicans need to act swiftly to secure a victory and end the suffering caused by the shutdown.
Trump also took aim at the media, which he accused of downplaying the seriousness of the shutdown and its impact on American families. "The media is not telling the full story.
The real people who are suffering are the American citizens who rely on government services, who rely on government programs to survive," he said. "They are being punished while politicians in Washington play games."
The former president’s remarks also highlighted his broader frustration with the Democratic Party’s approach to governance. He has long argued that Democrats are motivated primarily by a desire for power and control, and that they are willing to sacrifice the interests of ordinary Americans in pursuit of their political goals.
"This isn’t about the Constitution. This isn’t about the American people," Trump said. "This is about their endless desire to remain in power."
Trump’s call for action comes at a time of growing disillusionment among Republicans, who have watched as the shutdown has dragged on without resolution.
The party has faced significant criticism for its inability to achieve a compromise with Democrats, and many Republicans are increasingly frustrated with what they see as weak leadership in the Senate.
By calling for the elimination of the filibuster, Trump is offering a solution that he believes will allow Republicans to bypass the gridlock and push through the policies they believe are necessary to secure the nation’s future.
The idea of eliminating the filibuster is not a new one. It has been discussed in political circles for years, especially in times of divided government when one party controls the White House and the other controls Congress.
In recent years, Democrats have made several attempts to eliminate the filibuster, most notably when they had control of both chambers of Congress and the White House during the Biden administration.
However, they were thwarted by two key Democratic senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, who resisted calls to abolish the filibuster despite pressure from their own party.
Trump’s message, however, is aimed at Republicans, who now hold control of both the House and the White House. The former president believes that the time has come for the GOP to take bold action and use the power they have to enact change.
"We need to do what we should have done years ago," he said. "If we did what we should be doing, this ridiculous, country-destroying shutdown would be over immediately."
The debate over the filibuster and the shutdown is far from over, but Trump’s words have reignited a fierce discussion within the Republican Party about how best to address the crisis.
Some Republicans are pushing for a compromise with Democrats, while others, emboldened by Trump’s calls for bold action, are demanding a more aggressive approach.
As the clock continues to tick on the shutdown, it remains to be seen whether the GOP will heed Trump’s advice and use the "nuclear option" to break the deadlock.
Trump’s influence on the Republican Party remains undeniable, and his calls for action could play a significant role in shaping the party’s future. As the shutdown drags on, the pressure is mounting on Republicans to deliver results.
Whether they choose to follow Trump’s lead and eliminate the filibuster, or pursue a more traditional route, one thing is clear: the stakes have never been higher for the GOP, and the future of the nation is on the line.
