Donald Trump has discovered a new political weapon - and it is called the \u201cNuclear Option\u201d. In an angry Truth Social post, after he had offended Asia, the president on Thursday evening demanded that the Senate abolish the filibuster to end the government shutdown that has paralyzed the country for five weeks. It was less a suggestion than an order - and one that would unsettle the balance of power in American democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The filibuster is one of the oldest and most democratic rules of the American parliament. It allows a minority in the Senate to delay a vote as long as at least 60 of 100 senators do not vote to end debate. It is not a law and it is not in the Constitution; it is an internal rule of procedure - a relic from times when political compromise was still regarded as a virtue. Supporters see it as a bulwark against the arbitrariness of the majority: it forces cross-party solutions and protects the country from hasty, radical decisions. Trump, however, sees it as an obstacle - a bothersome formality on the road to absolute control. \u201cWhen we are in power, we must use our strength,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThe Democrats will do it anyway once they govern again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n