Trump Warns He'll Be 'Last Republican President' If Senate GOP Doesn't Eliminate Filibuster
Former President Donald Trump is urging Senate Republicans to abolish the filibuster, arguing that failure to do so would lead to Democrats admitting Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico as states, thereby ending the possibility of future Republican victories.
Former President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Senate Republicans, stating that if they do not eliminate the legislative filibuster, he could be the last Republican president.
Trump's appeal, made on Truth Social, centers on the potential admission of Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico as states. He argues that these new states would overwhelmingly elect Democrats, fundamentally shifting the balance of power in Congress and making it impossible for Republicans to win future elections.
"If Senate Republicans don't TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, the Dumocrats will, and I will be, despite how well our Party is doing, the last Republican President," Trump posted. He contended that "Dumocrats will vote in Puerto Rico (4% Republican Vote), and Washington, D.C. (3% Republican Vote), pick up 4 Senators, 8 Congressmen/women, tremendous numbers of Popular and Electoral College Votes and, importantly, control the Voting Mechanisms and Systems, both Legal and otherwise, throughout the United States."
He further stated, "It will be impossible for Republicans to ever win an Election again. In other words, it will be THE END OF AMERICA!"
The Senate filibuster requires a 60-vote threshold to advance most legislation, a safeguard that has blocked key elements of Trump's agenda, including the SAVE America Act. Trump has previously argued that Democrats would eliminate the filibuster themselves if given the opportunity.
Democrats have indeed shown support for making both Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico states, with legislation introduced in 2023 to pursue statehood for the latter. While voters in Washington D.C. can participate in presidential primaries and general elections, and have three electoral votes, Puerto Rico voters can only participate in presidential primaries and currently have non-voting representation in Congress.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has repeatedly pushed back against calls to eliminate the filibuster. Thune has stated that he does not believe there are sufficient Republican votes to end the practice and that roughly half of the Senate GOP supports maintaining it. He expressed concern that abolishing the filibuster would enable Democrats to enact progressive policies, such as federalizing elections and expanding the Supreme Court.
The filibuster was last significantly challenged in 2022 when Democrats sought to alter Senate rules to pass voting rights legislation, but the effort failed.