In a bold move on Thursday night, President Donald Trump intensified pressure on Senate Republicans to abolish the filibuster, a strategic effort aimed at resolving the ongoing government shutdown, which is now stretching into its 30th day. Trump's call to action was conveyed through his social media platform, Truth Social, where he emphatically stated, "Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!" and urged for the initiation of the "NUCLEAR OPTION" to "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

The filibuster, a critical Senate procedure, requires 60 votes to advance most legislation, thereby enabling the minority party to extend debate and block bills. Despite Trump's urgent appeals, Senate Majority Leader John Thune remains a firm advocate for maintaining this threshold, which he describes as a safeguard against potentially harmful legislation.

Amidst the deadlock, Trump reflected on the situation during his return from Asia, criticizing the shutdown as "ridiculous" and "Country destroying." He suggested that Democrats would likely abolish the filibuster if given the opportunity, referencing past calls from Democrats like Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar for modifications to the filibuster rules to prevent legislative stalling.

While there have been incremental adjustments to the filibuster by both parties over the years, the complete elimination as proposed by Trump would be unprecedented. Achieving this would require a simple majority in the Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats. However, the proposition does not have unanimous support within the party. Senators such as Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkowski, John Cornyn, and James Lankford have expressed their opposition to removing the filibuster.

Conversely, some Republicans see potential in revising the rule amid the ongoing crisis. Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville deemed it a "probably viable option," and Missouri Senator Josh Hawley voiced his unwillingness to let procedural rules exacerbate the hardships faced by his constituents, emphasizing that children in his state should not "go hungry over some Senate procedure."

This is not the first instance of Trump advocating for the abolition of the filibuster. He has previously criticized the rule as a "joke" and an obstacle to Republican legislative agendas during his presidency in 2017 and reiterated his stance in 2018.

As the Senate is set to reconvene on Monday evening, the shutdown nears the record duration of 35 days, leaving Americans in anticipation of whether Trump’s urgent call will catalyze a resolution or deepen the legislative impasse.