Trump Urges GOP to Eliminate Senate Filibuster Ahead of 2026 Midterms
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
By Newsmax Wires | Tuesday, 04 November 2025 10:30 AM EST
President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded that Republicans abolish the Senate filibuster, warning that inaction would lead to Democratic dominance in the 2026 midterm elections. The call came via his Truth Social platform, where he outlined a sweeping agenda including border security, tax cuts, and Second Amendment protections, placing the onus on Senate Republicans to act.
“The Democrats are far more likely to win the Midterms, and the next Presidential Election, if we don’t do the Termination of the Filibuster (The Nuclear Option!),” Trump wrote. “For three years, NOTHING WILL BE PASSED, and Republicans WILL BE BLAMED.” Among his promised policy goals: “FAIR, FREE and SAFE Elections, No Men in Women’s Sports … Strong Borders, Major Tax and Energy Cuts, and … secure our Second Amendment.”
Trump framed the filibuster as a procedural obstacle empowering “crazed Democrat lunatics” to block GOP-led legislation, arguing that without its removal, Republicans would face defeat. He warned of dire consequences: a packed Supreme Court, added states (D.C. and Puerto Rico), four additional Democrat senators, and eight more electoral votes.
Nearly 90 minutes after the initial post, Trump reiterated his demand: “TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER!!!” In an earlier message via the National Republican Congressional Committee, he highlighted a growing campaign war chest and infrastructure for 2026 but stressed that policy achievements hinged on ending legislative gridlock.
Republican Senate leadership remains divided. Senators including John Thune, R-S.D., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have defended the filibuster as a safeguard for minority rights, calling Trump’s push out of step with chamber norms. The conflict reflects Trump’s broader strategy of linking electoral mobilization with legislative ambition, aiming to reverse GOP underperformance in recent midterms.
Trump explicitly tied the filibuster’s future to the execution of the Republican policy platform, declaring: “IF we do terminate the Filibuster, we will get EVERYTHING approved … WE WILL BE THE PARTY THAT CANNOT BE BEATEN.” Whether Senate Republicans heed the call remains uncertain, but Trump has made rule reform a central theme of the 2026 campaign.
