Gyro Gearloose applies ...

President Trump speaking with reporters Friday in West Palm Beach, Fla. Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Trump's actually right about the filibuster but wrong on everything else, particularly regarding food stamps and the Affordable Care Act. Gyro Gearloose applies here as the incompetency and corruption of both Trump and his administration along with congress boggles the mind. 

Gyro Gearloose

Trump has been frustrated with Democrats over the shutdown, and for weeks he has been considering the idea of eliminating the filibuster to try to expedite a reopening, according to a senior White House official. After returning from a weeklong trip to Asia, he finally “pulled the trigger” in the Truth Social post, the official said.

The filibuster rule requires most bills to get 60 votes to advance in the Senate, giving the minority party significant power to block or shape legislation. Since September, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) has demanded talks to extend expiring enhanced ACA subsidies before Democrats will provide the votes for a GOP bill to reopen the government. Republicans have a 53-47 majority, and so far, only three senators who caucus with Democrats have crossed the aisle in more than a dozen failed votes.

Rising pressure

Recent days have been marked by flight delays across the country—including at Reagan National Airport, which held up senators’ trips home Thursday. The delays were in part due to absenteeism among air-traffic controllers who have been working without pay.

Friday’s disruptions to air travel were among the most widespread since the shutdown began. The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground delays for flights out of airports including those in New York, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. Federal officials have warned that the shutdown’s impact on the aviation system could worsen over the weekend.

As a good friend of mine says. This will not end well.

A traveler at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Friday. Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS