Donald Trump (File – AP)
US President Donald Trump has urged Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster, arguing that the move would allow the party to push through its policy agenda and secure future electoral victories, amid the ongoing government shutdown.In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump warned that retaining the filibuster would make it “impossible for Republicans to get Common Sense Policies done” and could hurt the party in the upcoming elections.
Trump said it in reference to the midterms slated for next year in which polls predict Republicans might lose the edge in Congress given the tanking approval ratings of the President. “FOR THREE YEARS, NOTHING WILL BE PASSED, AND REPUBLICANS WILL BE BLAMED,” he wrote, adding that “Elections, including the Midterms, will be rightfully brutal.”Trump called on Republicans to “terminate the filibuster now” and “end the ridiculous shutdown immediately.” He argued that doing so would enable the GOP to pass “every wonderful Republican policy that we have dreamt of, for years, but never gotten.”Trump claimed that eliminating the filibuster would allow the passage of key conservative priorities, including “FAIR, FREE, and SAFE Elections, No men in women’s sports, strong borders, major tax and energy cuts,” and the protection of gun rights. Warning that Democrats would likely abolish the rule if given the chance, Trump said, “Remember, Republicans, they are going to end the filibuster as soon as they get the chance. We know this because they already tried, and the only two people who didn’t go along are now out of office.”The filibuster, a long-standing Senate rule requiring a 60-vote threshold to advance most legislation, has frequently been a flashpoint in debates over US congressional gridlock. While Democrats have in the past faced internal division over ending it, Trump’s latest comments reflect growing Republican frustration over stalled legislative priorities, and especially the policy halt given the government shutdown, which has now entered its second month. Concluding his post, Trump said the GOP would become “the party that can’t be beaten – the smart party!!” if it acts decisively.
