Trump Urges GOP to “Terminate the Filibuster” Amid Shutdown and Gridlock
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump urged Senate Republicans this morning at a White House breakfast to eliminate the legislative filibuster, calling it the only way to “get the country moving again” amid what he described as a Democrat-created government shutdown and congressional paralysis.
Speaking from the White House before a closed-door strategy meeting with GOP senators, Trump declared, “It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do — and that’s terminate the filibuster. It’s the only way you can do it.”
The President, joined by Vice President J.D. Vance, Senate Majority leader John Thune, and other Republican leaders, said that without ending the 60-vote rule, his administration’s legislative agenda would be “dead on arrival” in the Senate for the next three years.
“If you don’t terminate the filibuster, you’ll be in bad shape. We won’t pass any legislation,” Trump warned. “Otherwise, we’re just going to sit around and argue with these people all day long.”
A “Democrat-Created Shutdown”
Trump placed full responsibility for the ongoing government shutdown on “radical Democrats in the Senate,” accusing them of holding federal workers hostage for political leverage.
“This is now officially the longest shutdown in American history,” he said. “The Democrat radicals have shown zero interest in reopening the government. They’ll take down the country if they have to.”
The President noted that the shutdown’s ripple effects — including unpaid air traffic controllers and delayed federal benefits — were being unfairly blamed on Republicans. “Millions of Americans are going to be without SNAP benefits,” he said, contrasting his administration’s previous reforms with what he called “runaway entitlement expansion under Biden.”
Trump Praises Economic Growth and Job Creation
Despite the shutdown, Trump touted America’s economic resurgence since returning to office, pointing to record job creation and foreign investment.
“We have the hottest economy we’ve ever had,” he said. “There’s a construction boom right now, but that’s going to be bigger — that’s going to be an economic boom.”
The President highlighted Toyota’s recent announcement of a $10 billion investment in new U.S. manufacturing plants, saying it was proof of renewed confidence in American industry.
“We Must Secure Our Elections”
Trump said ending the filibuster will allow Republicans to swiftly pass conservative priorities including election integrity measures, voter ID, and bans on mail-in voting.
“We should pass voter ID. We should pass no mail-in voting. We should make our elections secure and safe because California is a disaster,” he said, pointing to states where it is “illegal to ask for voter ID.”
Trump warned that Democrats, if given power, would abolish the filibuster themselves and use it to pack the Supreme Court, make Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico states, and “rig the system permanently.”
“They’re going to pack the court — five, maybe seven, even nine new justices,” Trump said. “They’ll make D.C. and Puerto Rico states, pick up four new senators, and you’ll never win again.”
The President’s Plan: “Open the Country Tonight”
Trump said his goal was to end the shutdown “immediately” and get Congress back to legislating. He urged Republicans to seize the moment and act decisively.
“We should open up. We should start tonight with, ‘The country is open. Congratulations,’” Trump said to applause. “Then we should pass everything we want to pass — and get this country going again.”
Trump concluded by emphasizing that decisive leadership would secure America’s future:
“If we do what I’m saying, they’ll never take power again because we’ll have passed every single thing that’s good for the country,” he said. “If we don’t, people will say, ‘They’re not doing much, and they’re in power.’ It’s time to move.”
