John Thune
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Thune Holds the Line on Filibuster as Trump Calls for ‘Nuclear Option’ in Shutdown Standoff

RNN Staff

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has made it clear he’s not backing down from his long-held support of the legislative filibuster, despite mounting pressure from President Donald Trump to deploy the “nuclear option” and end the 31-day government shutdown.

Thune’s office confirmed to The Daily Wire that his stance on the 60-vote threshold remains unchanged, even after Trump urged Republicans Thursday night to “play their Trump card” and abolish the procedural rule to push through a continuing resolution without Democrat support.

“It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, warning that Democrats would not hesitate to eliminate it themselves the next time they regain power.

The continuing resolution passed by the House to reopen the government has stalled in the Senate, falling just short of the necessary 60 votes. The most support it’s received so far is 55 — five votes away from breaking the deadlock.

Trump lauded Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson for their leadership but blasted Democrats as “crazed lunatics” and urged the GOP to unleash its full political firepower while in control of both chambers. But Thune, along with other top Senate Republicans, sees the filibuster as an institutional safeguard worth preserving.

On October 10, Thune reaffirmed his opposition to ending the filibuster, arguing that the 60-vote threshold “makes the Senate the Senate.” He warned that eliminating it could open the door to sweeping leftist policies if Democrats ever reclaim the majority, including court packing, statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico, and nationwide abortion mandates.

“The filibuster has protected this country,” Thune said, “and frankly, that’s what I think this last election was largely about.”

In 2022, Democrat leadership attempted to nuke the filibuster, but Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema broke ranks and joined Republicans to preserve it. Thune cited that moment as a vindication of the rule’s importance.

Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso also reaffirmed his commitment to the filibuster, calling it a crucial bulwark against Democratic overreach. “The Democrats would love for us to do that,” Barrasso said on Fox & Friends, referencing their prior push to add new states and expand the Supreme Court. “That’s not something we’re going to entertain.”

Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton echoed that sentiment, telling Fox News on October 27 that the GOP doesn’t need to eliminate the filibuster — it just needs “five more Democrats to come to their senses and open the government.”

Speaker Johnson, while acknowledging the House has no equivalent to the filibuster, said Friday that it has traditionally been “a very important safeguard” in the Senate and signaled no desire to interfere with how the upper chamber governs itself.

With Senate Republican leadership united in opposition to ending the filibuster, the pressure now shifts back to Senate Democrats. Thune has repeatedly called on at least five of them to cross the aisle and support the House’s resolution.

“All it takes is a little backbone, a little courage on behalf of five Democrats,” Thune told Ben Shapiro last week. “We ought to be able to do this the old-fashioned way.”

In the meantime, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has launched a digital ad blitz targeting vulnerable Senate Democrats over their role in the ongoing shutdown. The NRSC slammed them for voting 13 times to keep the government closed and accused them of prioritizing illegal immigrant benefits over basic food assistance for American families.

“Schumer’s Shutdown is threatening to end SNAP assistance this week for 42 million Americans who rely on it to feed their families,” said NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez. “Democrats are pandering to the far Left, and voters won’t forget it in 2026.”

While the White House and House Republicans continue pressing for a resolution, the reality remains: the shutdown will likely continue until Senate Democrats are willing to break ranks — or face the political fallout.

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