Thune Responds to Trump’s Filibuster Concerns
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, asserted that there is currently no support to abolish the filibuster as a means to reopen the federal government. This statement came in reaction to former President Trump’s remarks that a government shutdown could hinder Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.
Thune remarked, “Everyone knows the president’s position. It’s been clearly established since his first term. There have been numerous requests from him to eliminate the filibuster. However, the reality is that we just don’t have the votes.” He shared these thoughts with reporters on Tuesday.
His comments followed a social media post from Trump, who cautioned that failing to end the filibuster would give Democrats a stronger chance in the upcoming midterms and the next presidential race.
Trump insisted that unless Republicans eliminate the filibuster—which needs 60 votes for most Senate legislation—it would become impossible for them to advance reasonable policies. He emphasized in all caps, “Nothing will be passed for 3 years and Republicans will be blamed. Elections, including the midterms, are going to be brutal. If we end the filibuster, everything will get through—as no Congress has seen before.”
Nonetheless, Thune countered these grim forecasts on Tuesday. He suggested that the ongoing 35-day government shutdown will soon be a minor issue by the time the next election rolls around and stressed that Republicans will capitalize on the achievements from the significant bill passed in July.
“In the midterm elections, we’re going to be proud of the bill we enacted last summer with numerous positive campaign ads,” he mentioned. “We’re going to present a strong case to the American public and showcase the differing vision held by the Democratic Party, especially highlighted in today’s New York mayoral race.”
In that race, the Democratic socialist candidate Zoran Mamdani is favored to win, and Republicans in Washington plan to use him as a representative of the Democratic Party heading into next year’s elections. Mamdani is advocating for policies like a rent freeze in New York City, faster public transportation, and government-operated grocery stores.
Thune reminded everyone, “We’ve got one year left until the midterms. You might recall that the government shut down in 2013, but it didn’t significantly impact the elections in 2014.” Despite the Republican Party facing blame for a 16-day government shutdown prompted by Senator Ted Cruz’s efforts against the Affordable Care Act, they successfully gained nine Senate seats in the subsequent midterm elections.
