ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of abolishing the filibuster, a procedural mechanism in Congress that enables a minority of senators to block legislation.

In an interview with Politico on Friday night, Trump called on Republicans to move to end the procedure, arguing that it has become an impediment to effective governance and that scrapping it would help avert another government shutdown while clearing the way for his party to advance its legislative priorities.

Trump told Politico that the filibuster is damaging the Republican Party, urging GOP lawmakers to abolish it “without question.”

He said that eliminating the procedure would give Congress far greater freedom to act, arguing that without the filibuster, lawmakers could pursue sweeping initiatives, including major health care reforms, and advance their full legislative agenda.

With about 10 months remaining before the midterm elections, Trump has framed the issue more urgently, arguing that scrapping the filibuster would help avoid another government shutdown. Republicans hold a slim 53–47 majority in the Senate, leaving little margin for defections, and Trump has repeatedly urged GOP senators to abolish the rule to advance legislation without Democratic backing.

Trump said he expects the 2026 midterm elections to focus on “pricing” as Republicans face a critical test with control of Congress at stake, expressing confidence that voters will respond to his economic message.

Trump said: “I think it’s going to be about the success of our country. It’ll be about pricing,” adding: “Because, you know, they gave us high pricing, and we’re bringing it down. Energy’s way down. Gasoline is way down.”

His remarks followed a series of positive economic reports in recent weeks, indicating that inflation is easing while economic growth has exceeded expectations despite Politico's November polls showing persistent cost-of-living pressures, with nearly half of Americans reporting difficulty affording basic expenses.