Trump Tells Republicans To Play ‘Trump Card’ To Immediately End ‘Country Destroying’ Shutdown: ‘Get Rid Of The…’
President Donald Trump has called on Senate Republicans to scrap the filibuster rule requiring 60 votes to move most legislation forward, so they can reopen the government without Democratic backing.
Trump Signals Urgency To Reopen Government
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump said, “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 also criticized the Democrats’ healthcare demands, which are at the heart of the current deadlock.
Trump commended the work of Majority Leader John Thune, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. However, he argued that Republicans should act now to end the filibuster, claiming that Democrats would do the same if they regained control of the Senate.
He added, “If we did what we should be doing, it would IMMEDIATELY end this ridiculous, Country destroying ‘SHUT DOWN.’”
GOP Debates Filibuster Usage
Senate Republicans have been considering this “nuclear option” to end the shutdown, a move that would bring about a permanent change to Senate rules and bipartisan balance. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) previously told The Hill, “If we can’t get anything done, that’s what [Democrats] are gonna force.”
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Politico on Wednesday that he plans to “pretty soon” engage with high-ranking Senate Democrats to end the shutdown. Notably, in March, Thune had called out the Democrats’ hypocrisy for using the filibusters ‘left and right.’
Shutdown Weighs On Consumer Spending
The economic impact of the shutdown is also being felt, with Washington D.C.’s consumer spending falling at rates unseen since the 2008 financial crisis. According to Bank of America Institute data, year-over-year credit and debit card spending dropped 1.4% in the week ending Oct. 18, the sharpest decline since the subprime crisis.
The ongoing shutdown has also led to a lawsuit against the Trump administration, with a coalition of over two dozen states demanding the continuation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.