President Donald Trump says it is time for the Senate to end its 60-vote requirement to pass substantive legislation so that the government shutdown can end.
“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 Thursday night in a post on Truth Social.
The federal government has largely been shut down since Oct. 1 after Senate Democrats declined to approve a House-passed bill to keep it running through mid-November.
The bill has failed multiple times on 53-47 votes. Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada have supported the bill, as has Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.
The filibuster is a Senate rule that effectively requires 60 votes to pass most legislation, including the federal budget.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said in the past that he does not favor eliminating the filibuster, as noted by Politico.
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis has said that the “filibuster is not going away this Congress… I think Republicans have made that very clear.” Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Cornyn of Texas, and James Lankford of Oklahoma are also on record in favor of keeping the 60-vote rule.
Republicans such as Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Josh Hawley of Missouri have indicated they might support the change.
Trump elaborated in another Truth Social post after his trip to Asia, “The one question that kept coming up, however, was how did the Democrats SHUT DOWN the United States of America, and why did the powerful Republicans allow them to do it? The fact is, in flying back, I thought a great deal about that question, WHY?”
Will Republicans listen to Trump and end the filibuster?
“Majority Leader John Thune, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, are doing a GREAT job, but the Democrats are Crazed Lunatics that have lost all sense of WISDOM and REALITY,” Trump wrote.
“It is a sick form of the now ‘legendary’ Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) that only comes from losing too much. 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. This will hurt American citizens, and Republicans will not let it happen,” he continued.
“It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW! Just a short while ago, the Democrats, while in power, fought for three years to do this, but were unable to pull it off because of Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona,” he wrote.
Trump is now floating idea of getting rid of the 60 vote filibuster in the Senate, so Trump and the GOP actually could pass legislation without any Dem involvement.
Given the Dems are actively engaged in an insurrection and obstructing the Trump admin, I say let’s do it. pic.twitter.com/rEnYnCKNA0
— Clandestine (@WarClandestine) October 31, 2025
After noting that Democrats wanted to end the filibuster to cause vast damage, Trump noted, “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 made easier for them if the Republicans are not using the Great Strength and Policies made available to us by ending the Filibuster, the Democrats will exercise their rights, and it will be done in the first day they take office, regardless of whether or not we do it,” Trump wrote.
“In addition to all of the other things we would get, such as the best Judges, the best U.S. Attorneys, the best of everything, 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 added.
Trump was referring to a 2013 Senate vote when Democrats held the majority that wiped out the 60-vote requirement for most executive branch and judicial nominees, as noted by Fox News.
Trump had called for the elimination of the filibuster in 2018, according to Politico.
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