About that Nuclear Option

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President Trump is urging Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster and invoke the so-called "nuclear option" to break the deadlock and reopen the government—an option that has long lingered on the table. Under current Senate rules, the filibuster requires 60 votes to advance most legislation. With a 53-47 majority, Republicans cannot pass a budget reconciliation bill without securing support from several Democrats. To date, Republicans—aside from two consistent holdouts—have voted 13 times to reopen the government. Democrats, for their part, have uniformly opposed each attempt. The Democrats face a grim political calculus. Republicans have made it abundantly clear they won't budge on the bill, shut down or not. Worse, Democrats have repeatedly misled the public about who's responsible for shutting down the government. This whole affair could spell even more trouble for Democrats in the midterms who are already suffering painfully low favorability in the polls. And the stakes may rise even higher. If Republicans scrap the filibuster and deploy the nuclear option, they can pass the bill with their existing majority—no amendments, no concessions. The legislation moves forward “as-is,” sidelining Democratic demands entirely. That’s a double defeat. First, Democrats lose the substance of the negotiation. Second, they lose the structure that enables future compromise. Without the filibuster, Republicans can pass legislation unilaterally, rendering Democratic input optional until procedural norms are restored. If Democrats want to preserve any leverage over future legislation, their best move now is to take the hit—vote to pass the budget bill and reopen the government. Because in this standoff, they’re boxed in. No matter how it plays out, they lose. And if they push Republicans to eliminate the filibuster, they’re not just conceding this round—they’re handing over the keys. Yes, Democrats could try to spin the nuclear option as a Republican overreach—“Look what they’ve done!”—but that narrative won’t land. The public’s already tuned in. The longer this drags on, the worse it gets for them. The Democrat's best option right now is to simply take this one on the chin and allow the filibuster rule to remain in place.