Donald Trump has called for an end to the Senate filibuster, effectively ordering Republicans to not only defy the will of their base but also backtrack on longstanding party policy to end the Congressional stalemate.
“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 lengthy Truth Social post Thursday night.
The directive will add monumental pressure on the Senate to find a resolution to the funding blockade, but it’s not clear whether Republicans will bend.
"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 continued on Truth Social. “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.”
“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 added in a separate post.
I’ve read elsewhere that the Senate Leadership really, really doesn’t want to do this. Their logic is that if the Filibuster goes away, and Democrats ever achieve full control of the Presidency and Congress again, they will immediately move to:
All of which couldn’t be blocked if the legislative filibuster dies.
And basically undo all the ratfucking of our system that Mitch McConnell and his friends have so painstakingly set up.
I say this all the time but it bears repeating- the GOP knows the filibuster is good for them or they would have removed it long ago. The Dems get plausible deniability for never doing anything so they will never remove it.
That makes sense except when you consider the way Trump is governing they are not expecting another election ever.
Right. Trump is governing like there will not be another election, but the Senate is. There are a lot of ways to read that.
Well for Trump, either way there will not be another election. Either the system stays intact and he is disqualified or he says screw the system and stays in office. Our he dies first.
I wouldn’t put it past the GOP to kill the filibuster now, but put it back in place right before losing power to the Dems. It’s a pretty frequent playbook where GOP loses elections, and then passes laws to strip power from the incoming party on the way out the doorl
The Senate filibuster is something that the majority party sets as the rules when the new Senate is seated following elections. It’s a procedural rule. The only reason one side has not removed the rule, is because they know there is no going back. If the Republicans remove the filibuster, and even if they put it back on place right after, then the Democrats should have no qualms removing the filibuster once they are in the majority on the Senate again.
It’s kinda like a prisoner’s dilemma.
This doesn’t sound so bad, except that it will continue the prospect of 1 party rule, which will lead to further corruption and destruction of the U.S… I think the key factor though is “if” Democrats achieve full control, which seems unlikely at this point, all things considered, as the far right already has full control and is already ratfucking the entire system, including working to end free and fair elections.