Trump Calls for Senate Filibuster Elimination as Federal Shutdown Impacts Millions of Americans

US President Donald Trump has called for the implementation of the "Nuclear Option" to eliminate the 60-vote threshold currently required in the Senate to advance legislation, as Republicans face increasing pressure to resolve the ongoing federal shutdown.

This proposed change would eliminate a longstanding procedural rule that allows 41 senators in the 100-member chamber to block any bill from proceeding to debate or vote—a traditional check on power that both political parties have utilized throughout history.

The filibuster mechanism has historically compelled Democrats and Republicans to develop bipartisan legislative solutions.

"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!" the 79-year-old Republican president declared in a message posted to his Truth Social platform Thursday evening.

"Well, 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 added in his social media statement.

The federal government shutdown that commenced October 1 has resulted in thousands of federal employees missing paychecks and caused numerous essential government functions across the United States to cease operations.

The impacts range from disrupted air traffic at certain airports to the postponement of federal GDP data releases and unstaffed national parks, affecting a wide spectrum of basic government services nationwide.

Food assistance programs are emerging as one of the most critical concerns during the shutdown, with 42 million low-income Americans facing the loss of crucial grocery assistance beginning Saturday.

Approximately 23.7 million SNAP beneficiaries reside in states that supported Donald Trump in the previous presidential election, while 18 million recipients live in regions that voted Democratic.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the ongoing shutdown could potentially cost the American economy up to $14 billion.

The specific mechanics of eliminating the filibuster remain uncertain—whether the voting threshold would be lowered, certain legislation would receive exemptions, or if "talking filibusters" requiring senators to deliver extended speeches to block legislative progress might be reinstated.

During his first presidential term, Trump previously advocated unsuccessfully for the elimination of the filibuster procedure.