President Donald Trump on Thursday urged congressional Republicans to unilaterally end the government shutdown by eliminating the Senate filibuster, calling for an unprecedented move that GOP leaders have consistently opposed until now, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to the CNN. “It is time for Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD’ and use the so-called Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it NOW!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
This call came after Trump returned from a several-day trip abroad and is likely to reshape negotiations on Capitol Hill over ending the prolonged funding deadlock. It immediately intensified pressure on Republican leaders, who have firmly resisted removing the 60-vote threshold required to pass legislation as a method to end the shutdown.
Senior GOP lawmakers have long defended maintaining this threshold, arguing that the filibuster protects Republican interests and acts as a key safeguard against Democrats passing sweeping legislation when they return to power. The filibuster rule is unique to the Senate and grants the minority party the ability to block a bill from coming to a vote if at least 41 senators oppose it. Since one party rarely wins more than 60 seats, supporters say the filibuster encourages compromise and makes large, partisan reforms more difficult to enact.
Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader John Thune ruled out changing Senate rules to end the shutdown, describing the filibuster as “a bulwark against a lot of really bad things happening in the country.” Thune noted at the time that he had received no pressure from the White House to eliminate the filibuster.
However, on Thursday, Trump appeared to shift strategy sharply, urging Republicans to leverage their Senate majority to end the filibuster and reopen the government. “Now WE are in power, and if we do what we should, it would IMMEDIATELY end this ridiculous, country-destroying SHUTDOWN,” he wrote. “If Republicans do not use the great strength and policies available to us by ending the filibuster, Democrats will exercise their rights and do it on the first day they take office, regardless of whether we act.”
Trump’s renewed push follows a week on Capitol Hill where lawmakers on both sides indicated possible signs of progress toward resolving the impasse, while acknowledging that a deal remains out of reach despite the widespread impact nationwide. The Senate is not scheduled to return until Monday evening, leaving lawmakers only days away from surpassing 35 days—the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Critical food aid for tens of millions of Americans is set to end over the weekend. The White House on Thursday also highlighted the stress the shutdown is causing air traffic controllers by hosting a roundtable with airline industry representatives and union leaders.
Earlier we wrote that Trump Orders Pentagon to Resume U.S. Nuclear Weapons Testing Amid Global Tensions.
