‘Last Republican President’: Trump warns GOP could lose elections for good

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump escalated his demand that Senate Republicans terminate the filibuster, warning Democrats could make GOP election victories impossible over its Senate strategy.

Trump said Democrats could gain four senators and eight House members through Puerto Rico and Washington, DC, if Republicans fail to act.

The president made the warning in a Truth Social post Monday, September 21, while pressing Republicans to advance his election legislation.

Trump warns filibuster could decide GOP's future

“If Senate Republicans don’t TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, the Dumocrats will, and I will be, despite how well our Party is doing, the last Republican President!” Trump wrote.

He said Democrats would gain “tremendous numbers of Popular and Electoral College Votes” through Puerto Rico and Washington, DC, and would control voting systems nationwide.

Trump also warned, “It will be impossible for Republicans to ever win an Election again,” before calling the outcome “THE END OF AMERICA!”

Trump has repeatedly argued that Democrats would eliminate the filibuster if they win the Senate majority in the November midterm elections. 

The rule requires legislation to receive 60 votes in the Senate, making it a barrier to bills that cannot attract enough Democratic support.

The president’s latest post tied that broader argument directly to the Save America Act, an election bill that has stalled in the Senate.

President Trump pressed John Thune to drop the filibuster

Trump had already urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune in July to terminate the filibuster and keep the Senate in Washington to pass the Save America Act.

Thune has resisted the demand. 

Responding to comments that Trump was “running out of patience” with him, Thune said the administration should “get on the phone and get the votes” rather than blame Republicans.

“Instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats,” Thune said.

Under the existing 60-vote threshold, Republicans would need Democratic support to pass the Save Act. 

If Republicans eliminate the filibuster, they could change Senate rules by simple majority and approve the legislation without Democratic votes.

Trump's latest warning comes after months of pressure on Thune over the legislation, including a July demand that the Senate remain in Washington rather than leave for its August recess.

Save America Act remains central to Trump's push

The Save America Act would require voters to provide proof of citizenship and effectively end mail-in voting, according to the Courthouse News Service. 

Democrats have argued the measure could disenfranchise American citizens, including legal voters who regularly vote by mail.

Utah Sen Mike Lee, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, backed Trump’s call for changing Senate rules.

“Getting behind it should require very little deliberation or hesitation on the part of any lawmaker,” Lee said in July. “It’s stunning to me that anyone considers it controversial.”

Trump and his allies have also claimed US elections are “rigged,” affected by foreign influence or otherwise compromised. 

Earlier in July, Trump published documents he said showed unprecedented foreign interference, and has demanded major reforms to voting systems across the country.