President Donald Trump is calling for Republicans to eradicate the filibuster as the government shutdown drags on for nearly a month.
Since the government shutdown started Oct. 1, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his fellow Democrats have used the filibuster to block the House-passed continuing resolution 13 times. Trump wrote on TruthSocial that Democrats have “lost all sense of WISDOM and REALITY,” telling Republicans to unleash their “nuclear option” and eradicate the filibuster. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Independent Women Urges Dem Leadership To End Government 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. It is a sick form of the now ‘legendary’ Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) that only comes from losing too much,” Trump wrote.
“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. 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!” he continued.
Trump wrote in the post that Democrats fought to get rid of the filibuster three years ago because they knew what “tremendous strength” it would give their party. The president continues to say Republicans are in power now and if the party “did what we should be doing” ending the filibuster would reopen the government.
“Now I want to do it in order to take advantage of the Democrats….” Trump wrote, continuing into another TruthSocial post.
“….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 second TruthSocial post reads.
Democrats have used the filibuster throughout Trump’s first term to block key legislation focused on implementing the president’s agenda, such as the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
A few days into the shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune addressed the possibility of Republicans getting rid of the filibuster.
“Well, there’s always that possibility,” Thune told reports with what Punchbowl described as an “awkward laugh.” “We put up with it, obviously, in his first term as president. I could see at some point that being a potential conversation. But that’s not good for anybody… We should avoid that at all costs.”
Trump and his administration have tried to put pressure on Democrats in other ways during the shutdown. The president met with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought towards the beginning of the shutdown to discuss how they could downsize the federal government.
Vought announced on X that mass layoffs had begun just nine days into the government shutdown and 4,000 employees received termination notices. A district judge later paused the layoffs, Politico reported.
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