President Donald Trump called Oct. 30 for Republican senators to pursue the “nuclear option” and “get rid of” the filibuster in order to end the government shutdown.
“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,” Trump said in an Oct. 30 Truth Social post, “and get rid of it, NOW!”
“Just a short while ago, the Democrats, while in power, fought for three years to do this, but were unable to pull it off because of Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona,” he added. “Never have the Democrats fought so hard to do something because they knew the tremendous strength that terminating the Filibuster would give them. They want to substantially expand (PACK!) the United States Supreme Court, make Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico States (Thereby automatically picking up 4 Senate seats, many House seats, and at least 8 Electoral Votes!), and many other highly destructive things.”
FOX reported that the Senate GOP “went nuclear once already this year,” but that it is unlikely they will do so again.
>> Shutdown drags on: Senate Democrats block GOP funding bill, thousands go without pay <<
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote that he had just returned from his visit to Asia, where he met with numerous countries’ leaders, and a question kept coming up during the visit: “how did the Democrats SHUT DOWN the United States of America, and why did the powerful Republicans allow them to do it?”
( @realDonaldTrump – Truth Social Post )
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) October 31, 2025
( Donald J. Trump – Oct 30, 2025, 10:36 PM ET )
I just got back from Asia where I met the Leaders of many Countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Thail… pic.twitter.com/VfFBjKvaRd
Trump later emphasized that “now WE are in power, and if we did what we should be doing, it would IMMEDIATELY end this ridiculous, Country destroying ‘SHUT DOWN.’”
Trump’s post also commended Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana for “doing a GREAT job,” adding that Democrats “have lost all sense of WISDOM and REALITY.”
The Democrats “want Trillions of Dollars to be taken from our Healthcare System and given to others, who are not deserving — People who have come into our Country illegally, many from prisons and mental institutions,” Trump said. “This will hurt American citizens, and Republicans will not let it happen.”
USA Today reported Oct. 31 that Thune told reporters “he doesn’t expect to abolish the filibuster even though it ‘can sometimes be frustrating.’”
>> US bishops’ president urges lawmakers to end government shutdown, warns of harm to poor <<
Johnson stressed the importance of the filibuster during an Oct. 31 press conference.
The filibuster is “not my call,” Johnson said, according to an Oct. 31 FOX report. “I don’t have a say in this. It’s a Senate chamber issue. But the filibuster has traditionally been viewed as a very important safeguard. If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t think our team would like it.”