President Donald Trump said in a wide-ranging interview Thursday with Newsmax's Greta Van Susteren that Senate Republicans should immediately eliminate the filibuster to advance key legislation, warning that failure to act could stall his agenda and hurt the party politically.
Expressing frustration with GOP holdouts, Trump said the procedural rule is preventing action on priorities including tax policy, election reform, and law enforcement funding.
"I think it's very foolish for the Republicans not to immediately terminate the filibuster and get everything approved," Trump said. "If we did that, we could get things done at a record clip."
Trump said only a small number of Republican senators are blocking the move.
"It's shocking that there are some, a couple of people that just don't want to do it," he said. "Now, why? You'll have to ask them."
He said the impasse is allowing Democrats to block policies tied to border security and law enforcement.
"What they're doing with respect to defunding all of our law enforcement, frankly, which is really what they are doing, they defund ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], they defund Border Patrol, they defund some of our greatest people, our greatest patriots," Trump said.
Trump also warned Democrats would move quickly to eliminate the filibuster if they regain control of Washington.
"The Democrats will do it in their first hour, and they'll use it in the first day," he said. "They'll be adding additional states, and they'll be adding additional Supreme Court justices. I hear up to 21 is the number they really want."
Trump said ending the filibuster would allow Republicans to pass major priorities, including election-related legislation.
"We have the SAVE America Act, which will be such a great thing. There will be very little voting cheating if we do the SAVE America Act," he said. "And the way they're going to do that is to terminate the filibuster."
He tied the issue directly to upcoming elections, saying legislative success would translate into political gains.
"If we terminate the filibuster, we will pass so many things, not only the SAVE America Act, but every other thing that the Republicans have ever wanted," Trump said. "And that will lead to a landslide election victory."
Trump said failing to act would make it harder for Republicans to maintain momentum.
"If we don't pass it, it's going to be much tougher. There's no question about it, in my mind," he said.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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