President Donald Trump issued a fiery warning to Republicans on Saturday, telling his party not to be “weak and stupid” and urging them to fight to make sure Democrats “never again have the chance” to govern the United States. In a string of Truth Social posts, the president railed against Democrats over the ongoing government shutdown and accused them of trying to destroy the country, while pressing Republicans to hold the line.
“Remember, Republicans, regardless of the Schumer Shutdown, the Democrats will terminate the Filibuster the first chance they get,” Trump wrote. “They will Pack the Supreme Court, pick up two States, and add at least 8 Electoral Votes.” He continued, “Their two objectors are gone!!! Don’t be WEAK AND STUPID. FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! WIN, WIN, WIN!”
The remarks landed as the shutdown dragged into another week, with talks frozen over a continuing resolution to fund federal operations. Democrats are pushing to extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, Republicans have balked, and the White House has framed the dispute as a historic test of political resolve. Trump argued that Republicans are “very unified” and “want to do what’s right for the country,” while accusing Democrats of reckless spending and lax border policies.
In another post, Trump broadened the message beyond the immediate crisis. “We will immediately END the Extortionist Shutdown, get ALL of our agenda passed, and make life so good for Americans that these DERANGED DEMOCRAT politicians will never again have the chance to DESTROY AMERICA!” he declared. He added, “This is much bigger than the Shutdown, this is the survival of our Country!”
The president’s call to “terminate the filibuster” revived an old fight inside the Senate GOP. Some Republicans have long resisted scrapping the rule, arguing it protects minority rights and encourages consensus. Trump’s allies counter that Democrats would end it the moment it served their goals, so Republicans should act first. The clash is a reminder that the battle lines are not only between parties, they also run through the Republican conference itself, where institutional caution often collides with Trump’s maximalist instincts.
Trump also took aim at a late night TV host earlier in the day, calling the criticism “probably illegal,” a flourish that played to his base’s frustration with the media. Supporters welcomed the punchy tone, saying the president is speaking plainly about what they see as Democratic overreach. Critics accused him of inflaming tensions and using capital letters to paper over thin policy details.
Inside the West Wing, aides have signaled that the social media blitz is strategic, not spontaneous. The goal, they say, is to keep Republicans energized, to set the narrative on friendly ground, and to push Hill negotiators toward a deal that does not include what Trump labels unnecessary spending. The emphasis on speed, unity, and strength mirrors the language that defined his last campaign, and it is calibrated to turn party pressure inward, not outward.
Whether the posts move votes in Congress is uncertain. What they do make clear is Trump’s line in the sand, no retreat on the shutdown without a deal he can sell to his voters, and no quarter given to Democrats he claims are bent on remaking Washington. “Be tough, be smart, and win,” he wrote, summing up the mood from the Oval Office to the House floor.
