Back from a week abroad, President Donald Trump threw himself into the shutdown debate, calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster and reopen the government, an idea swiftly rejected Friday by Republican leaders who have long opposed such a move.
Trump pushed his Republican Party to get rid of the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to overcome objections and gives the minority Democrats a check on GOP power. In the chamber that’s currently split, 53-47, Democrats have had enough votes to keep the government closed while they demand an extension of health care subsidies. Neither party has seriously wanted to nuke the rule.
“THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION,’ GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER,” Trump said in a late night social media post Thursday.
Trump’s decision to assert himself into the shutdown now in its 31st day — with his highly charged demand to end the filibuster — is certain to set the Senate on edge. It could spur senators toward their own compromise or send the chamber spiraling toward a new sense of crisis. Or, it might be ignored.
Republican leaders responded quickly, and unequivocally, setting themselves at odds with Trump, a president few have dared to publicly counter.
Here are more Trump administration headlines from Friday:
Voting: The federal judge ruled that Trump’s request to add a documentary proof of citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers. The ruling deals a blow to the administration and its allies who have argued that such a mandate is necessary to restore public confidence that only Americans are voting in U.S. elections.
Venezuela: Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday that he was not considering conducting military strikes within Venezuela. The question posed to Trump comes in response to reports by several media outlets that the Trump administration was preparing to conduct strikes within the South American nation. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Trump administration had identified drug smuggling targets within Venezuela, and on Friday, the Miami Herald reported that the Trump administration agreed on military targets to strike, which could come “in a matter of days or even hours.”
Lincoln Bathroom: Trump said on Friday that he’s renovated the Lincoln Bathroom. He posted side-by-side photos of the before and after of the rehab of the bathroom attached to one of the most famous rooms in the White House. “It was renovated in the 1940s in an art deco green tile style, which was totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era,” Trump added.
— From wire and Sinclair National Desk reports