Washington — President Donald Trump on Thursday called on Senate Republicans to invoke the “nuclear option” and eliminate the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster threshold, insisting the move would allow the GOP to unilaterally end the weeks-long government shutdown.
“It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD’… Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, arguing that scrapping the rule would “IMMEDIATELY” reopen the government.
The demand clashes with long-held Republican resistance to dismantling the filibuster, a Senate feature that allows the minority to block legislation unless 60 senators agree to advance it. GOP leaders have repeatedly defended the rule as a guardrail that forces bipartisan compromise and protects their priorities when out of power.
Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader John Thune ruled out changing the rules to resolve the funding impasse, calling the filibuster “a bulwark against a lot of really bad things happening with the country.” He also said he faced no pressure from the White House to consider the nuclear option — a stance Trump’s post appeared to upend.
Republicans control the Senate but lack the votes to clear the 60-vote threshold on a funding bill without Democratic support. Trump argued that if Republicans don’t end the filibuster now, Democrats would do so “on the first day they take office,” a claim GOP leaders have used themselves to justify keeping the rule intact.
Trump’s intervention comes as modest signs of progress flickered on Capitol Hill, even as negotiators acknowledged a final agreement remains distant. The Senate is not scheduled to reconvene until Monday evening, putting the shutdown on pace to surpass 35 days — already the longest in U.S. history.
The White House on Thursday spotlighted the strain on the nation’s aviation system, convening airline executives and union leaders amid warnings that air-traffic controller staffing shortages could worsen delays and cancellations. Separately, federal agencies cautioned that critical food assistance for tens of millions of Americans could begin lapsing over the weekend if funding is not restored.
Eliminating the filibuster would mark a seismic change to Senate norms; while both parties have previously used the nuclear option for nominations, applying it to ordinary legislation has long been considered a red line by institutionalists in both parties. Whether Trump’s call shifts entrenched GOP opposition — or simply hardens it — could determine the next phase of the shutdown fight.
