Trump shutdown live: Republicans told to play ‘Trump card’ to end crisis in president’s latest social media rant
President Donald Trump has called on Republicans to “play their ‘TRUMP CARD’” and take “the Nuclear Option” to end the U.S. government shutdown after almost a month of deadlock in negotiations.
Posting on Truth Social after returning to the White House from his tour of Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, Trump urged his party to “get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!”
The filibuster is the Senate rule that requires 60 of the chamber’s 100 members to agree to pass most legislation. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, meaning that legislation can be stalled if members vote along party lines.
The GOP could eliminate the filibuster using their simple majority, although many have historically been opposed to doing so, arguing that it would ultimately benefit the Democrats when they return to power.
With funding for government food stamps set to run out at midnight, leaving more than 41 million Americans without the SNAP benefits they need to buy groceries, the president is under renewed pressure to intervene.
But rather than play peacemaker, he doubled-down on criticism of the opposition, calling them “Crazed Lunatics that have lost all sense of WISDOM and REALITY.”
