A month into the government shutdown, former President Donald Trump issued a forceful call to action, urging Republicans to dismantle the Senate filibuster. The message, delivered late Thursday through his Truth Social platform, framed the current impasse as a consequence of past Democratic actions and Republican inaction.
Trump recalled a period during the Biden administration when Democrats attempted to eliminate the filibuster – a Senate rule requiring a supermajority to pass legislation – but were thwarted by the opposition of then-Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. He presented this history as justification for a reciprocal move by the Republican party.
Returning from a trip to Asia, Trump stated he spent the journey grappling with a central question: how could the shutdown have occurred, and why did Republicans permit it? He characterized the situation as a failure to aggressively counter what he perceives as Democratic overreach.
He praised the current leadership – Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson – but simultaneously painted Democrats as “Crazed Lunatics” detached from “WISDOM and REALITY.” This rhetoric echoed his familiar theme of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” attributing their actions to a bitterness stemming from past defeats.
Trump specifically objected to Democratic spending proposals, alleging they would divert trillions of dollars from the American healthcare system to benefit individuals who have entered the country illegally, including those with criminal records or mental health issues. He asserted this would harm American citizens and vowed Republicans would prevent it.
The former president concluded with a direct command: it is “now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’” and invoke the “Nuclear Option” – eliminating the filibuster immediately. This move, he believes, is the key to resolving the shutdown and preventing further perceived Democratic excesses.
