Johnson warns Republicans risk ‘big trouble’ as filibuster fight grows
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Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. He warned on Sunday that Republicans would be in “big trouble” unless Democrats realized the next trio would “nuke” the filibuster to maintain power, and insisted his party would use the nuclear option to overcome the hurdle keeping the government shut down.
“Every single one in the Senate has pledged to nuke the filibuster right now. I can’t imagine a Senate Democrat or a Senate candidate not having to commit to that,” he said on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“So when they gain power, which we need to prevent… they will bomb the bandits to maintain power.”
Johnson acknowledged President Donald Trump’s pressure for Republicans to go nuclear to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for most bills in the upper chamber to reopen the government.
JOHNSON WARNES AGAINST TRUMP’S DEMAND TO GO ‘NUCLEAR’ TO END SENATE SHUTDOWN
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., arrives at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, on April 3, 2025 (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In recent years, both parties have held narrow Senate majorities; This means the legislation requires bipartisan participation to advance.
Democrats have called for an end to the filibuster, a move that would eliminate minority party participation and require a 50-vote threshold for legislation to pass.
In the current case, more than half of the Senate approved the continuing resolution to keep the government open; This means the absence of fraud will prevent a weeks-long shutdown.
TRUMP CALLED GOP TO ‘END THE SHUTDOWN’ BY TAKING NUCLEAR ACTION IN THE SENATE FILIBUSTER
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks with Senator Amy Klobuchar at the U.S. Capitol following the Democratic Senate Policy Luncheon on October 7, 2025, as the government shutdown continues. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“We have a lot to achieve. It’s obvious from the way they block it. They keep the government closed because they don’t want the economy to go well. They don’t want President Trump to gain credibility on these issues,” Johnson said.
“So they’re going to block any good legislation that President Trump and the Republicans want to pass, so we better act first. That’s the bottom line.”
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Johnson added that Republicans will use the 50-vote threshold for “good things” such as securing the border, ensuring the security of elections and “repairs.”[ing] The damage done by Obamacare.”
“Democrats will use nuclear fraud to maintain their power. For Democrats, everything is a matter of power,” he reiterated.
