President Donald Trump escalated his campaign to eliminate the Senate filibuster late Saturday, pressing Republican senators to “terminate” the procedural rule so they can advance his voting legislation and other agenda items before Democrats regain power.
“The all Republican Senators! Terminate the Filibuster, which the Dumocrats will do as soon as they get the chance, and PASS THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, and everything else, including the Budget, and upcoming Debt Ceiling. Do it now, before it is too late!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, signing the post with his initials to underscore it was his own message.
The renewed pressure targets Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and his conference, who have repeatedly resisted calls to scrap the 60-vote threshold. Thune has countered that there simply aren’t enough Republican votes to abolish the filibuster, a stance that has created a widening rift between the White House and Senate leadership.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier this week that Trump’s “patience is running out” over the Senate’s failure to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, which would impose new proof-of-citizenship requirements for federal elections. The House has already passed similar provisions, but the bill has stalled in the Senate, blocked by Democratic opposition and insufficient GOP support to overcome a filibuster.
Thune pushed back sharply when asked about Leavitt’s comments on Thursday. “Maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It’s 50 around here,” he said, visibly irritated. “Instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats. And if there are Republicans they think are gettable, get on the phone.”
The standoff comes as the midterm election landscape shifts. According to Decision Desk HQ, Democrats are favored to win the House in November, with a 60 percent probability of taking control, while Republicans hold a 60 percent chance of retaining the Senate, likely in a 50-50 split with Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. That narrow margin would make any legislative victory precarious, fueling Trump’s urgency to act now.
Trump’s push to end the filibuster is part of a broader strategy to lock in conservative policy wins before potential Democratic gains in 2026. Critics argue that eliminating the filibuster would fundamentally alter Senate dynamics, allowing major policy changes to pass with simple majorities and eroding the chamber’s tradition of minority protections.
For now, Thune appears unmoved by Trump’s public pressure. The majority leader has signaled he will not bring the SAVE Act to the floor without the votes to overcome a filibuster, and he has urged the White House to focus on winning over Democrats instead of blaming Republicans. The tension between the two GOP leaders is likely to intensify as the midterm campaign season heats up.
