Trump Urges Republicans to Go ‘Nuclear’ to End the Democrats’ Shut Down

President Donald Trump on Thursday called on Senate Republicans to invoke the “nuclear option” to bypass the 60-vote filibuster rule and allow legislation to reopen the federal government to pass with a simple majority vote.
In his post, Trump praised Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson for their handling of negotiations but blamed Democrats for prolonging the shutdown.

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President Donald Trump on Thursday called on Senate Republicans to invoke the “nuclear option” to bypass the 60-vote filibuster rule and allow legislation to reopen the federal government to pass with a simple majority vote.

The president’s call came as the shutdown entered its 30th day, with both chambers deadlocked over a temporary spending measure.

“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!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

The president said the move would allow the Senate to approve a short-term funding bill that Democrats have repeatedly blocked.

Trump explained that the issue came up frequently during his recent Asia trip, which included meetings in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea.

“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?” he wrote.

The president said he reflected on that question during his return flight from South Korea.

“The fact is, in flying back, I thought a great deal about that question, WHY?” he wrote.

In his post, Trump praised Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson for their handling of negotiations but blamed Democrats for prolonging the shutdown.

“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,” he wrote.

“It is a sick form of the now ‘legendary’ Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) that only comes from losing too much.”

Trump said Democratic demands in the shutdown negotiations “will hurt American citizens, and Republicans will not let it happen.”

The Senate has held multiple votes on a Trump-backed continuing resolution that would temporarily restore federal funding at pre-shutdown levels, but Democrats have blocked it more than a dozen times since Oct. 1.

Under current Senate rules, most legislation requires 60 votes to advance, leaving Republicans five votes short of the total needed to move their funding bill forward.

The president said the 60-vote requirement is preventing the government from reopening and argued that Democrats themselves had tried unsuccessfully to eliminate the rule when they held power.

“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,” Trump wrote.

“Never have the Democrats fought so hard to do something because they knew the tremendous strength that terminating the Filibuster would give them.”

The president also warned that Democrats would use a simple-majority system to push through sweeping structural changes if given the chance.

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He cited potential moves to “substantially expand (PACK!) the United States Supreme Court, make Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico States (Thereby automatically picking up 4 Senate seats, many House seats, and at least 8 Electoral Votes!), and many other highly destructive things.”

Trump said eliminating the filibuster now could both end the shutdown and advance other administration priorities.

“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,’” he wrote.

He added that ending the rule would also allow for faster confirmation of nominees, saying it would secure “the best Judges, the best US Attorneys, the best of everything.”

The president noted that the filibuster debate dates back to the Obama administration.

“[T]his 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 wrote.

In a separate post, Trump reiterated his position: “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!”

Senate Majority Leader Thune, who reaffirmed his support for preserving the filibuster in January, has so far dismissed calls to remove it.

Earlier this month, he said he had not discussed the nuclear option with the White House.

The stalemate continues as the government shutdown stretches into its fifth week.