Trump urges Senate GOP to scrap filibuster, warns of Democratic control

Shafaq News – Washington (Updated on Nov. 05 at 09:47)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Senate Republicans to abolish the filibuster, warning that failure to do so could allow Democrats — whom he described as “crazy” — to seize control of Congress in upcoming elections.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Republicans would struggle to pass “common-sense policies” as long as Democrats can block legislation through the 60-vote threshold. He called on his party to invoke the “nuclear option” to eliminate the rule, arguing it would enable Republicans to approve key measures “like no Congress in history.”

Trump claimed that ending the filibuster would allow the GOP to deliver secure elections, stronger borders, and major tax and energy reforms. “If we don’t do it, they are far more likely to do well in the upcoming elections, which would mean a packed Supreme Court, two more states and four more Democrat senators — D.C. and Puerto Rico — and eight more electoral votes,” he said.

The House Speaker said he does not expect Democratic leadership in Congress to support a vote to reopen the government as the budget impasse continues to paralyze federal operations. His statement comes amid a nationwide government shutdown that has forced hundreds of thousands of federal employees to stop working as funding negotiations remain deadlocked in Congress, according to official US data. The House Majority Leader said more than 1.3 million federal workers have been either furloughed or forced to work without pay, including 700,000 on mandatory leave and 670,000 temporarily laid off.

Estimates reviewed by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) suggest up to 750,000 employees could be furloughed each day, with daily pay losses of around $400 million, while internal data from 15 cabinet departments show roughly 566,000 workers were placed on leave in the first days of the shutdown.

Meanwhile, US Labor Secretary, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, said the country is losing $15B in GDP each week due to the halt in federal activity. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned that if the shutdown extends another week, the US could face “massive chaos” in the aviation sector, adding that authorities may be forced to close parts of the national airspace if funding is not restored soon.