Johnson Addresses Trump’s Call to End the Filibuster

House Speaker Mike Johnson weighed in today on recent calls by Donald Trump to eliminate the Senate filibuster rule, acknowledging that the topic came up in conversations with the President over the weekend. Johnson said the President is “very passionate about this,” while noting the broader push in the GOP is driven by “the real desperation that we feel because we want the government to be open.” New York Post

“I understand desperate times call for desperate measures,” Johnson said. “I also understand that traditionally we’ve seen [the filibuster] as an important safeguard … I obviously shared my thoughts with the President on that.” The Daily Beast

Johnson also signalled that while he once supported doing away with the filibuster—as a House member—he’s now attentive to warnings from his Senate GOP colleagues who argue the rule remains a vital institutional buffer.

“What would the Democrats do if they had no filibuster impediment, no speed bump at all?” Johnson asked. He asserted Democrats would respond by packing the Supreme Court, granting statehood to D.C. and Puerto Rico, restricting Second Amendment rights, and federalizing elections. The Daily Beast

Johnson emphasized that the filibuster debate is “not a House issue, it’s a Senate issue, and we’ll see how that’s resolved.” The Daily Beast

Why this matters

• Eliminating the filibuster would allow legislation to advance with a simple majority in the Senate rather than needing 60 votes; that in turn could accelerate how Congress deals with items like the funding bills tied to the ongoing government shutdown.
• Johnson’s remarks reflect a tension in the GOP: on one hand, frustration over the stalled funding process that has left the government shuttered; on the other, concern about undermining long-standing procedural safeguards that protect minority rights in the Senate.
• The shutdown (now entering its 34th day) has brought systemic strain and heightened political urgency; procedural changes like filibuster reform are being floated as potential paths out of the impasse. TIME

What to watch next

• Will Senate Republicans formally propose ending the filibuster—or change its 60-vote threshold—as part of the shutdown/end-funding deal?
• How will rank-and-file senators respond? Some are publicly opposed to eliminating the filibuster even while others are open. TIME
• Will Johnson’s framing shift the political dynamic, either by giving Senate allies cover to reconsider or by provoking backlash from more conservative members who want procedural change now?
• Could talk of eliminating traditional safeguards raise concerns among voters about major shifts in legislative power—and thus influence the broader shutdown negotiation?

Bottom line

On Nov. 4 2025, Speaker Mike Johnson addressed President Trump’s push to abolish the Senate filibuster, siding with Senate Republicans who view it as a necessary safeguard despite the shutdown-driven pressure for faster action. How this debate evolves could reshape not just how the shutdown ends—but how legislation moves in the future.

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