President Trump's mounting pressure campaign to nuke the filibuster won some fresh converts Wednesday as his warning rippled across the GOP conference.
Why it matters: Trump's demand made it "uncomfortable" inside the White House's state dining room this morning, as Axios reported.
- Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is now "open to changes" to the filibuster, as he told reporters after breakfast. Cornyn is facing two primary challengers and has been wooing Trump's endorsement.
- Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) posted on X: "We KNOW Democrats will nuke the filibuster as soon as they're able to solidify their grip on power. We should act first in order to pass laws that benefit the AMERICAN people."
- Retiring Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) also posted support: "BLOW UP THE FILIBUSTER."
Zoom in: Trump's filibuster obsession is something between a headache and a distraction for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who wants to stay focused on reopening the government.
- It won't be Trump's last word on the matter, but for now, it's not decisive.
- "There are not the votes there," Thune told reporters Wednesday.
Zoom out: Cornyn, Johnson and Tuberville are joining a handful of GOP senators who have expressed willingness to change the rules this week, especially as the shutdown drags on.
- Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) are among them.
- Other senators are more on the fence. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) admitted to reporters, "The president made some really good points."
The bottom line: Trump is dozens of votes shy of what he needs to change the rules.
- "It only takes third-grade math to figure out that if you've got 15 or more members that are dug in, it's not gonna happen," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said.
