Trump Demands Filibuster Kill or September Shutdown
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- Trump blindsided GOP leaders on Monday by demanding that Senate Republicans abolish the filibuster or face a spending showdown and another government shutdown
- Senators in both parties told The Hill that the odds of a shutdown in September are rising in response to Trump's ultimatum
- The confrontation sets up a September spending showdown between Trump and Democrats, with the filibuster's 60-vote threshold as the central flashpoint
- Trump's demand places Senate GOP leaders in a bind between the president's pressure and the institutional protections of the filibuster
Why it matters: By tying the filibuster's fate directly to the September spending fight, Trump is forcing GOP leaders to choose between protecting the 60-vote threshold (which gives Democrats leverage) or triggering a shutdown that would disrupt federal operations — a binary the source says members of both parties now view as increasingly likely.
