President Donald Trump was back in the United States for less than a day before he started sending out strong political messages through his late-night posts on Truth Social. On Thursday, not long after the president and his wife, Melania, gave out candy to trick-or-treaters at the White House, Trump told Republicans to use their “trump card” and go for the “nuclear option,” which would eliminate the Senate’s filibuster rule.
He said doing this would give him and the Republican Party “Great Strength.”
Trump’s message was an attempt to remove the Senate rule that Democrats are currently using to stop government funding plans. The filibuster rule requires 60 votes to move a bill forward. Republicans have 53 seats, and Democrats have 47. If the filibuster is changed to only need a simple majority, it would undo a tradition of over two centuries where the Senate acted as a check on the ruling party.
Trump is correct when he says that past Democratic presidents also wanted to remove the filibuster.
He wrote, “Just a short while ago, the Democrats, while in power, fought for three years to do this, but were unable to do so because of Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Never have the Democrats fought so hard for something because they knew the tremendous strength that ending the filibuster would give them.”
He added, “Well, now WE are in power, and if we did what we should be doing, it would IMMEDIATELY end this ridiculous, Country destroying ‘SHUT DOWN.
’” If the Democrats ever came back into power, which would be easier if Republicans don’t use the Great Strength and the policies made available by ending the filibuster, they would do it the very first day they take office, regardless of what we do.
“This was a concept from years ago of then President Barack Hussein Obama and former Majority Leader Harry Reid in order to take advantage of the Republicans.
Now I want to do it in order to take advantage of the Democrats.”
He also posted a shorter message for those with limited attention, writing in all caps: “….
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!”
The government shutdown started on October 1 because the Senate failed to pass funding for the government.
It is now the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history, only beaten by the one that happened during Trump’s first term.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said earlier this month that Republicans weren’t considering changing the filibuster rules.
He told reporters, “There’s always a lot of swirl out there, as you know, from social media, etc. But no, I have not had that conversation.”
That situation has clearly now changed.
While some Republicans, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Sen. Bernie Moreno, have suggested eliminating the rule, others have argued in favor of keeping it, saying it helps Republicans and protects against Democrats having unchecked power if they gain a majority again.
Speaker Mike Johnson also warned against removing the rule, telling reporters, “Is it possible?
Yes… Is it wise? A lot of people would tell you it’s not.”
“I mean, on the Republican side, I would be deeply concerned if the Democrats had a bare majority in the Senate right now.”
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