Donald Trump put forward the idea of putting an end to the filibuster – a procedural technique in Congress this allows a minority of senators to block passage of the legislation, which would make his policy agenda much easier to implement in 2026.
In an interview with Politician– the president called republicans V Senate abandon the filibuster, saying it has become an obstacle to good governance and removing it would prevent another government shutdown and clear the way for his party to pursue its legislative priorities.
“The filibuster is hurting the Republican Party,” Trump told Politico. He called on Republican lawmakers to remove him “without questions.”
“If you get rid of the filibuster, you won't have a shutdown,” Trump added. “You can do anything. You can provide more medical care if you get rid of the filibuster. We can do whatever we want.”
Abandoning the arcane-sounding legislative mechanism is sometimes favored by the party with the majority in the Senate but opposed by the other because it allows them to use their minority status to block legislation.
Senators generally resist proposals to end it because they don't want to be confused by a simple majority when the balance of power changes again. Centrists in both parties generally oppose ending the filibuster as a defense against partisan political excesses.
For Trump, who has 10 months before the midterm elections to advance the Republican agenda, including requiring voters to show identification, raising the issue has a more immediate goal: preventing another government shutdown.
“If you get rid of the filibuster, there will be no closure,” he told the publication.
Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats and Democrats 47, giving them little room to lose members and pass bills with razor-thin majorities. Trump called earlier on his party in the Senate to end the filibuster in October so Republicans can reopen the government without Democratic support.
Republicans did not rise to the challenge, leading to a lengthy standoff with Democrats over health care spending and paralyzing the government with a 43-day shutdown. But mounting time pressure on the incumbent to advance his legislative agenda could change the calculus.
Elsewhere in Trump's speech to Politico, he said he believes the midterm elections will focus on “pricing,” an alternative to the Democratic term “affordability,” which he said he believes is a “hoax.” Both terms mean the same thing.
He said he was confident Americans would be receptive to his message: cleaning up the economic mess he inherited from Joe Biden.
“I think it's going to be about the success of our country. It's going to be about prices,” Trump told Politico. “Because, you know, we were given a high price, and we are reducing it.”
The comments come after two positive economic reports showing inflation is falling and the economy is growing faster than economists expected. But surveys also show that American consumers are feeling economically insecure and pessimistic.
