NEW: President Trump Calls on Republicans to Terminate the Filibuster—Warning Democrats Are “Destroying” the Economy

WASHINGTON—In a blistering Truth Social tirade on Saturday, President Donald Trump escalated his war on Senate gridlock, urging Republicans to “TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER” immediately or risk watching Democrats “destroy” the booming U.S. economy. The post, timestamped 3:45 p.m. ET amid the 39th day of the longest government shutdown in history, painted a dire picture of partisan sabotage and electoral doom, framing the procedural rule as the last barrier to MAGA dominance. “Republicans, you will rue the day that you didn’t TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER!!! BE TOUGH, BE SMART, AND WIN!!! This is much bigger than the Shutdown, this is the survival of our Country!” Trump wrote, his all-caps fury echoing across social media and into the marbled halls of the Capitol.

The outburst comes as the shutdown, triggered October 1 over funding for border wall construction and election security reforms, grinds federal operations to a halt. Nearly 800,000 federal workers remain furloughed or on unpaid leave, national parks sit shuttered, and food assistance programs teeter on the brink of exhaustion. Trump, fresh off a bruising Election Night where Democrats flipped key governorships in Pennsylvania and Michigan, blamed the impasse squarely on “DERANGED DEMOCRAT politicians” wielding the filibuster like a “weapon of mass destruction” against his agenda. “They are destroying our great, miracle economy with their Extortionist Shutdown,” he fumed, vowing that ending the 60-vote threshold would unlock “EVERYTHING approved, like no Congress in History.”

At its core, the filibuster—a Senate tradition dating to 1806—allows a minority of 41 senators to block most legislation by threatening endless debate, requiring 60 votes to invoke cloture and advance bills. Republicans, holding a slim 53-47 majority, have repeatedly failed to secure the nine Democratic votes needed for a clean funding bill. Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, counter that they’re open to compromise but demand extensions for Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring this month, which could spike premiums for millions amid 7.2% inflation. Trump dismissed such pleas as “goofy ideas,” insisting the rule change would not only end the shutdown but pave the way for swift passage of voter ID mandates, a nationwide mail-in ballot ban, and deeper tax cuts—priorities stalled since his January inauguration.

The president’s rhetoric marks a sharp pivot from earlier pleas for unity. During a White House breakfast with GOP senators on November 5—the day after Democrats’ off-year triumphs—Trump implored the group: “We have to get the country open. And the way we’re going to do it this afternoon is to terminate the filibuster.” Yet, the room’s response was tepid. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) emerged stone-faced, telling reporters, “It’s just not happening,” and reaffirming the filibuster as the Senate’s “most important institutional safeguard.” Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) echoed the sentiment, warning that nuking the rule could boomerang when Democrats reclaim power, enabling them to pack the Supreme Court or grant statehood to D.C. and Puerto Rico—adding up to four Senate seats and 4-6 electoral votes.

Trump’s allies, however, see the moment as ripe for revolution. Hardliners like Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) have warmed to the idea, with Hawley arguing on X, “I’m not willing to see children in my state go hungry over some Senate procedure.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), fresh from corralling a razor-thin majority for the initial shutdown vote, tweeted support: “The President is right—don’t be WEAK AND STUPID. FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!” Conservative influencers amplified the call; Gunther Eagleman posted a meme of Trump as a boxer, captioned, “Time to KO the filibuster and save America.” On the flip side, Democrats pounced. Schumer mocked the demand as “Trump’s tantrum of the week,” while Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) accused the GOP of “holding the economy hostage to appease a chaos agent.”

Economically, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The shutdown has already shaved 0.3% off fourth-quarter GDP growth, per Treasury estimates, with small businesses in shutdown-hit sectors like tourism hemorrhaging $1.2 billion daily. Stock futures dipped 1.1% Friday on fears of prolonged uncertainty, while Treasury yields spiked to 4.8% as investors fled to bonds. Trump touted his “miracle economy”—3.8% unemployment, record stock highs post-inauguration—as under siege, claiming Democrats’ obstruction threatens “the greatest rebound since Reagan.” Critics, including economist Paul Krugman, fired back in a New York Times op-ed: “This isn’t destruction—it’s delusion. Trump’s shutdown is self-inflicted, and ending the filibuster would turbocharge inequality with unchecked tax giveaways.”

The nuclear option—changing Senate rules via simple majority—has precedent. Democrats carved out exceptions for nominees in 2013; Republicans followed for Supreme Court picks in 2017. Full elimination, though, remains taboo, requiring ironclad GOP unity. With three potential defectors (Murkowski, Tillis, and moderate Susan Collins), Trump’s margin is razor-thin. Vice President JD Vance, presiding over the Senate, could break a 50-50 tie on the rules change, but insiders say he’s privately urging caution to avoid alienating swing-state donors.

As the impasse drags into its sixth week, public fury mounts. Polls show 62% of Americans blame congressional Republicans, with approval for Trump dipping to 42% in battlegrounds like Wisconsin. Furloughed air traffic controllers protested outside the FAA headquarters Friday, chanting “End the games—fund our pay!” Aviation officials warned of potential flight delays if the shutdown hits Day 45, citing depleted safety inspection funds. Families reliant on WIC nutrition programs face empty shelves by mid-November, amplifying Trump’s economy warnings into a humanitarian crisis.

For Trump, this is personal—a test of his grip on a party he reshaped. His first term saw filibuster skirmishes over Obamacare repeal, but COVID-era unity muted deeper reform. Now, with midterms looming in 2026, he warns of “brutal” losses if Republicans flinch: “FOR THREE YEARS, NOTHING WILL BE PASSED, AND REPUBLICANS WILL BE BLAMED.” On X, MAGA voices rallied, with one viral post declaring, “Trump confirms this is about the survival of our country. We are already at war. FIGHT AND WIN!”

Yet, as Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough weighs in on procedural hurdles, the clock ticks. Will Thune bend, or will Trump’s bombast force a bipartisan deal? One GOP aide whispered to Politico: “He’s lighting fires under our feet—either we nuke it, or we negotiate.” For an economy teetering on recession’s edge, the filibuster isn’t just Senate lore; it’s the fuse to fiscal Armageddon.