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“It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do, and that’s terminate the filibuster,” Trump said. “It’s the only way you can do it, and if you don’t terminate the filibuster, you’ll be in bad shape. We won’t pass any legislation.”
The former president reminded senators that Democrats “won’t do any bill, even a simple bill,” and blasted their refusal to cooperate on even the most basic government extensions.
Trump then pivoted to the issue that continues to energize his supporters — voter fraud and election integrity. He called for sweeping legislation to restore trust in America’s elections, starting with the immediate end of mail-in ballots.
“We should pass voter ID. We should pass no mail-in voting. We should pass all the things that we want to pass to make our election secure and safe,” he said. “Because California is a disaster. Many of the states are disasters. But can you imagine when they vote almost unanimously against voter ID? All we want is voter ID. You go to a grocery store, you have to give ID. You go to a gas station, you give ID. But for voting, they want no voter ID. It’s only for one reason: because they cheat.”
Trump pointed out that even former President Jimmy Carter once warned that mail-in voting would lead to widespread corruption, citing a bipartisan commission that concluded the process “passes through too many hands.”
Despite Trump’s call for action, several Republican senators immediately pushed back. Thune bluntly dismissed Trump’s demand after the meeting, telling ABC News that eliminating the filibuster was “just not happening.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) praised Trump’s argument as “a really good point,” but said he had no plans to support the effort. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) defended the filibuster, claiming it’s important “when you’re in the minority, we’re not now, but we could be someday.” And Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) was even more direct, saying, “there’s nothing that could move me on the filibuster.”
Trump, however, has made it clear that this refusal to act could cost Republicans dearly in the next election. In a Truth Social post last week, he warned that Democrats could retake the majority “because it will be impossible for Republicans to get Common Sense Policies done with these Crazed Democrat Lunatics being able to block everything by withholding their votes.”
“BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE GONE STONE COLD ‘CRAZY,’ THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION,’ GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote.
He followed up with another warning, urging Republicans to “do what we should be doing” before Democrats get the chance to eliminate the filibuster themselves.
“If the Democrats ever came back into power… it will be done in the first day they take office,” Trump said.
Even after Trump’s meeting and his public pressure campaign, Thune’s office confirmed that his stance on the filibuster “is unchanged.”
The battle over the Senate’s 60-vote rule has become a defining test of loyalty for the GOP. Trump’s supporters say it’s time to deliver results, while establishment leaders like Thune are digging in their heels to preserve Senate “tradition.”
But as Trump continues to rally the grassroots, the message is clear — Republican voters don’t want more excuses. They want action. They want courage. And above all, they want leaders who will fight to Make America Great Again — not bow to the same procedural games that keep Washington broken.
