FRANK RICCI: GOP Must Go Nuclear On Senate Rules

The Democrats’ scheme goes well beyond shutting down the government under the guise of bolstering what became the unaffordable Affordable Care Act.

No — their prolonged strategy has always been about robbing the Trump administration of every precious second.

Walk into any funeral home — rich or poor, famous or forgotten — and you’ll find that every person wishes for one thing: more time. Time with family. Time to finish the job. Time to fight for the country. Time to make America great again.

Yet for nine years, the Left has waged a calculated war not on Donald Trump’s policies, but on his clock — robbing his administration of the one thing that can never be replaced. (RELATED: Why Five Democrats Broke Almost Six-Week Blockade To Reopen The Government)

Congress can take back the clock and expedite the Trump agenda by ending the filibuster rule.

The inclination to protect that rule is understandable. The filibuster is more than a procedural tool; it is the cornerstone of the Senate’s deliberative process — protecting the minority, driving compromise, and fostering consensus.

However, the Constitution leaves Senate rules to the Senate itself, meaning they can be changed at the will of the majority. While the Right views the rule with reverence, the Left sees it as an obstacle to be obliterated.

Ending the filibuster would allow Congress to codify President Trump’s executive orders into law, protecting the nation. Legislation could also block the Left’s efforts to pack the Court or impose term limits on justices.

The Right seems to have a short memory of the Left’s political maneuvers, lawfare, and lawlessness—all designed to rob time from President Trump.

They started before he even took the oath. On Inauguration Day 2017, two activist groups launched ImpeachDonaldTrumpNow.org, demanding his removal for “conflicts of interest.” The Washington Post captured the moment with the headline: “The campaign to impeach President Trump has begun.”

No honeymoon, no first 100 days—just a concerted effort to bog down the administration.

Then came Russia. Two years, $32 million, and 2,800 subpoenas later, Robert Mueller found no collusion. But the clock kept bleeding.

When Trump left office, the lawfare machine simply reloaded. Four criminal cases, 91 felony counts, gag orders, courtroom marathons—all while he campaigned from courthouse steps. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg revived a “zombie” misdemeanor, inflated it into 34 felonies, and slapped on a $454 million civil penalty.

Next, Georgia’s Fani Willis turned a phone call into RICO. Jack Smith chased classified folders like they were the Holy Grail. Every day in court meant another day the Trump campaign’s location was dictated by the courts.

They tried to imprison him, bankrupt him, and take him off the ballot. The demonization of the former President reached such heights that they called him “Hitler.” And on July 13, 2024, he took a bullet in Butler, Penn. Blood streaming down his face, he stood and roared, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Political courage became physical courage—putting the nation ahead of the firing line.

I trained firefighters for over 20 years. I’ve seen grown men freeze when the heat hits. Trump didn’t flinch. That’s the hallmark of excellence: putting everything on the line for an idea, a community, a nation.

Their real target? It was never just the man — it was the America First agenda. After throwing everything at him and failing to stop him, they know the Senate’s 60-vote cloture rule is the last chokehold.

End it, and Republicans will finally have the chance to advance the full Trump agenda. Keep it, and every Trump priority will sink into procedural quicksand — and Republicans will likely lose in the midterms.

The Left has been intellectually dishonest, blaming the GOP for government shutdowns, claiming Republicans “control all three branches of government.” Meanwhile 75% of all nationwide injunctions were issued against the President with Chad Mizelle a former chief of staff for the DOJ reporting that 90% were issued by, “Democrat-appointed judges. Yet the administration has a 92% win rate at SCOTUS.”

For the left it is not about winning in court. For them the process is the punishment and running the clock is the goal.

The Right now faces a choice: hand the Left the equivalent of a loaded gun they’ve promised to use against them if they regain power—or act now and reset the clock.

It’s long been said: when you go nuclear, you don’t leave missiles in the silo. Because the greatest tragedy isn’t a lost election. It’s a stolen presidency—one minute, one hour, one year at a time.

Frank Ricci was the lead plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case Ricci v Destefano. He retired as a Battalion Chief in New Haven, Conn. He has testified before Congress and is the author of the book Command Presence.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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