Unofficial returns indicated double-digit victory margins in the gubernatorial contests, underscoring strong Democratic turnout during an off-year election cycle that did not feature national races for Congress or the presidency.
Shutdown Longest on Record
The federal government has been partially closed for more than five weeks, making the current shutdown the longest in U.S. history. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed or working without pay, and several agencies have warned of disruptions to public services. Recent polling conducted by multiple news organizations shows a majority of Americans placing primary responsibility for the stalemate on Trump and congressional Republicans.
The president told senators the shutdown “was a big factor, negative for the Republicans,” citing unnamed pollsters. He also argued that his absence from Tuesday’s ballots depressed Republican enthusiasm. In a series of overnight posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that “TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST,” though he did not link to specific surveys.
Push to End Senate Filibuster
Trump used the closed-door portion of the breakfast to press GOP lawmakers to scrap the Senate filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation. Eliminating the rule, he said, would allow Republicans to pass a government funding bill and move forward on his policy agenda with a simple majority.
“If you don’t terminate the filibuster, you’ll be in bad shape. We won’t pass any legislation,” he told attendees, according to people familiar with the exchange. The suggestion reprises Trump’s earlier appeals for the so-called nuclear option, a step GOP leaders have long resisted out of concern that a future Democratic majority could wield the same power. The non-partisan Congressional Research Service notes that curbing the filibuster would mark a significant shift in Senate tradition.
Mixed Republican Response
Publicly, leading Republicans played down the electoral setback. “Blue states and blue cities voted blue,” House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said, adding that off-year contests are “not indicative of what’s to come.” Vice President J.D. Vance, posting on the social media platform X, called it “idiotic to overreact,” though he acknowledged the party “has to do better at turning out voters” and urged a renewed focus on affordability issues emphasized by Democratic campaigns.
Inside the White House meeting, however, Trump reportedly told senators the party is “getting killed” and admitted the shutdown has been “worse for us than for them,” according to accounts later published by Punchbowl News.
Next Steps
After the breakfast, Trump departed for Miami, where he is scheduled to speak about the economy. He did not respond to shouted questions about the election results or his filibuster proposal while boarding Marine One on the South Lawn.
Negotiations to end the shutdown are expected to resume later this week, but no bipartisan framework is currently in place. Senate Democratic leaders maintain they will not agree to reopen the government without protections for certain immigration programs, while Republican leadership continues to demand border security concessions.
The White House has not announced additional meetings with congressional leaders, and it remains unclear whether Trump’s call to eliminate the filibuster will gain traction among Senate Republicans, several of whom have publicly warned against altering chamber rules.
For now, rank-and-file Republicans are assessing the fallout from Tuesday’s elections and the potential impact on next year’s congressional midterms. Party strategists say internal discussions are underway on messaging, candidate recruitment and voter turnout strategies in light of the off-year performance.
Crédito da imagem: Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
