--- title: What's a Filibuster and Why Does Trump Want to Terminate It? description: Trump is ramping up the pressure on Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster—an action commonly known as the “nuclear option.” canonical: https://time.com/7330524/what-is-a-filibuster-trump-fights-to-terminate-it/ author: Callum Sutherland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-11-03T15:53:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2025-11-10T18:01:14.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: What's a Filibuster and Why Does Trump Want to Terminate It? og:description: Trump is ramping up pressure on Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster—an action known as the “nuclear option.” og:url: https://time.com/7330524/what-is-a-filibuster-trump-fights-to-terminate-it/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6944da71e5764f2/6998cb61e2d64b4777c5fd3b/trump-filibuster-terminate-nov2.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: President Trump Spends Weekend At Mar-A-Lago Estate In Palm Beach og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What's a Filibuster and Why Does Trump Want to Terminate It? twitter:description: Trump is ramping up pressure on Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster—an action known as the “nuclear option.” twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6944da71e5764f2/6998cb61e2d64b4777c5fd3b/trump-filibuster-terminate-nov2.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What Is a Filibuster and Why Does Trump Want to 'Terminate' It? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: House Leaders Continue Blame Game as Trump Pushes to Scrap the Filibuster to End the Shutdown [Watch (HLS stream): House Leaders Continue Blame Game as Trump Pushes to Scrap the Filibuster to End the Shutdown](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/VTKDsUkD.m3u8) (3:08)  _Published 2025-11-03. President Donald Trump is calling on Republicans to get rid of the Senate filibuster to end the government shutdown—but many in his party are pushing back._ by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Updated: Nov 10, 2025 6:01 PM UTCPublished: Nov 3, 2025 3:53 PM UTC  President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the White House on Nov. 2, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the White House on Nov. 2, 2025. Samuel Corum—Getty Images by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Updated: Nov 10, 2025 6:01 PM UTCPublished: Nov 3, 2025 3:53 PM UTC Amid the U.S. government shutdown, which has stretched into its second month, [President Donald Trump](https://time.com/7327689/trump-israel-gaza-deal-interview-transcript/) is ramping up the pressure on Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster—an action commonly known as the “nuclear option” when it comes to changing Senate rules. "Republicans, terminate the filibuster! Get back to passing legislation and voter reform,"[ Trump urged ](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115495015896453646)via Truth Social on Tuesday night. This latest plea comes after the President's recent claim that Democrats “would do it immediately, as soon as they get a chance.” As such, he's imploring that the Republican Party, which currently holds the Senate majority, does it first. With the blame game continuing, the Republicans and Democrats remain locked in a bitter stalemate over spending matters and health care items. The Democratic Party’s core demand is that Affordable Care Act subsidies, [set to expire ](https://time.com/7330071/obamacare-aca-premium-tax-credit-expiration-2026/)at the end of the year, should be extended. The filibuster has played its part in stalling the passing of the Republican funding bill, as the filibuster rule mandates that 60 Senate votes are needed for most legislation. While the Republicans hold the majority in the Senate with 53 out of the 100 seats, it still leaves them needing some votes from Democrats to push through legislation, such as the GOP spending package. “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 said on Friday](https://time.com/7330071/obamacare-aca-premium-tax-credit-expiration-2026/), amid increasing pressure for the government shutdown to end, especially as Americans grow concerned over impacted [SNAP benefits](https://time.com/7328216/snap-benefits-food-stamps-halting-november-government-shutdown-impact/) and other related knock-on effects. Here’s what you need to know about filibusters, and how the long-standing Senate tradition is affecting the ongoing government shutdown. ## **What is a filibuster?** A filibuster is an attempt to delay, or block entirely, a vote on legislation or a confirmation. It often sees a member of the Senate speaking for a prolonged period of time in order to stall the passing of legislation, a practice which has been used in the Upper House of the U.S. government since its [first session in 1789](https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/filibusters-cloture/overview.htm). Filibusters became more frequent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, prompting debates about potentially changing Senate rules to curtail the practice. President Woodrow Wilson enacted the [Cloture Rule](https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/filibusters-cloture/senate-adopts-cloture-rule.htm) in 1917, requiring a two-thirds majority vote to pass legislation and prevent prolonged speeches from halting debate. Since then, the number of votes required to pass legislation has been reduced to 60, the threshold still required today. But this hasn’t stopped performative filibusters to voice opposition on policy. Former South Carolina Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond [filibustered](https://www.senate.gov/about/resources/pdf/thurmond-strom-filibuster-1957.pdf) for 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957 in opposition to the Civil Rights Act. More recently, in April, Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey[ broke the record](https://www.booker.senate.gov/senator-bookers-marathon-speech) for the longest filibuster, speaking for 25 hours and 5 minutes [in criticism of the Trump Administration](https://time.com/7273417/cory-booker-filibuster-speech-senate/). The filibuster has long been utilized by both sides. It’s the primary reason Republican President George W. Bush was unable to enact his immigration overhaul and why Democratic President Barack Obama was unable to enact his climate change legislation. ## **What has Trump said about filibusters?** Trump has repeatedly called for filibusters to be scrapped as he grows increasingly frustrated with the ongoing government shutdown over disagreements regarding health care subsidies. “Terminate the filibuster, not just for the shutdown, but for everything else. We will get all of our common sense policies approved and Make America Great Again,” [Trump urged](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115483440357834964) via Truth Social on Sunday evening. “We \[Republicans\] are in power, and if we did what we should be doing, it would immediately end this ridiculous, country destroying ‘shutdown,’” he continued. He [has argued](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115483440357834964) that removing the filibuster would not only end the shutdown but would also allow Republicans to enact policies such as enforcing voter ID. Trump has also pointed out that Democrats themselves tried and failed to scrap the 60-majority vote during the Biden Administration. They noticeably tried to change the rules to pass voting rights legislation, [but were unsuccessful](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/voting-rights-bill-filibuster-senate-vote-fail/). ## **How have lawmakers responded to Trump?** Top Republicans have publicly rejected the President’s call to terminate the 60-vote majority rule. When asked if the filibuster should be removed in order to resolve the government shutdown, Majority Leader of the United States Senate [John Thune told reporters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rKavH9W3DQ): “It’s something that makes the Senate the Senate. Honestly, if we had done that, there’s a whole lot of bad things that could have been done by the other side \[Democrats\].” Thune maintained that the filibuster has “protected this country.” And it seems Thune has not shifted his position, despite Trump’s increased calls to axe the filibuster. “Leader Thune’s position on the importance of the legislative filibuster is unchanged,” [Thune’s spokesperson, Ryan Wrasse](https://x.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1984264546715140457), on Friday. Utah Republican Sen. John Curtis has also pushed back against Trump’s request. “The filibuster forces us to find common ground in the Senate. Power changes hands, but principles shouldn’t. I’m a firm ‘no’ on eliminating it,” [said Curtis](https://x.com/SenJohnCurtis/status/1984234593248248281). House Speaker Mike Johnson also appears to have defended the continuation of the filibuster practice, [telling reporters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGiuYV0DUq0) Friday that “the safeguard in the Senate has always been the filibuster.” In contrast, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, one of the few from his party to vote in favor of the Republican funding bill amid the shutdown, has argued it would be “appropriate” for Republicans to throw out the filibuster, but only in cases of the government shutting down. “I would remind all of us, the Democrats, we wanted to nuke the entire filibuster,” [Fetterman said in an interview](https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1982114102471270436) with Fox News on Oct. 25\. "I'm referring to carving out this specific, right now. I'm not talking about eliminating the entire filibuster." ## Transcript I talked to the talk to the president multiple times over the weekend. I mentioned and of course, the filibuster came up. This is a Senate matter. It has nothing to do with the House. Everybody wants to know what my opinion is. My opinion is irrelevant. Um, I understand desperate times call for desperate measures. Uh, I also understand that traditionally, we've seen that as an important safeguard. I mean, obviously, I shared my thoughts with the president on that. As much as I have wanted to blow up the filibuster sometime as a House member when we were not getting what we wanted on our agenda, I hear my Senate Republican colleagues, some of the most conservative people in in Congress who say it's an important safeguard, it's it's prevents us. It holds us back from the Democrats worst impulses. This is a very important matter. It's something that we're given all of our attention to. Our leaders will go and meet on on the calendar. Right now, we're watch it every day. But the simplest way to get all these issues resolved health care, everything else to get it all finished up for the year is for them to reopen the government and make sure people are not hurting. Instead of Democrats over here playing political games to cover their own backside, I hope the election tomorrow is a change, a sea change in all this. I hope that after everybody votes and they go in their room and they make the calculation that, well, maybe, maybe we won't have to hold that line anymore. Maybe, maybe they won't punish us. Maybe we won't affect turnout. And in our states, in these elections, maybe after tomorrow they'll come to their common senses again and and do the right thing. We certainly pray that is true. The urgency, as far as I'm concerned, for Democrats, is that we need to reopen the government. We need to find a bipartisan path forward to enacting a spending agreement that actually makes life better for the American people. But we also have to decisively address the Republican health care crisis. In a year where Republicans have enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, almost $1 trillion ripped away from more than 14 million Americans, hospitals, nursing homes and community based health centers are closing all across the country because of Republican policies and what they did in their one big ugly bill. Medicare is confronting a possible $536 billion cut this year. If Congress doesn't act by the end of December because of the one big ugly bill. And then on top of all of that, as we find ourselves now in open enrollment, tens of millions of Americans are experiencing dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles because Republicans are unwilling to find a dime to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for working class, middle class, and everyday Americans. That's why Democrats have been in this fight to make sure that we are delivering for the American people, lowering the high cost of living and addressing the Republican health care crisis. And it should be done with urgency now. But Mike Johnson. And Republicans on Capitol Hill who don't work for the American people, they just work for Donald Trump. He's their boss, have canceled votes now for six consecutive weeks. They're nowhere to be found. 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