After Mamdani’s NYC Win, Trump Tells Republicans To Push Voter ID Laws, Kill Filibuster

Last Updated:November 05, 2025, 19:40 IST

US President Donald Trump said voter ID should be required at polling stations just like ID is required for grocery checks.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a breakfast with Republican Senators at the White House in Washington, DC, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Republicans to “nuke" the filibuster and advance voter ID laws as he hosted a breakfast meeting with senators at the White House, just hours after Democrats swept a string of high-profile elections.

Democrats registered major wins in the November 2025 polls, led by Zohran Mamdani’s historic New York City mayoral victory and key gubernatorial triumphs in New Jersey and Virginia. Mamdani, 34, became the city’s first Muslim and youngest mayor, while Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger retained Democratic control in their respective states, in elections seen as semi-finals ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Reflecting on the results, Trump said, “It was not expected to be a victory. Very Democrat areas. But I don’t think it was good for Republicans, or good for anybody. We learned a lot."

He urged Republicans to pass strict voter ID laws, telling them to “start tonight" and “make our elections secure and safe", likening voter identification to the ID checks required at grocery stores.

Just hours earlier, Trump said he would be issuing an executive order requiring voter identification for all elections in the United States. “Voter I.D. must be part of every single vote. NO EXCEPTIONS! I will be doing an Executive Order to that end!!!" he wrote late Tuesday night on Truth Social.

“We should start tonight with ‘the country’s open, congratulations,’ then we should pass voter ID, we should pass no mail in voting… you go to a grocery store, you have to give ID," he told the GOP senators.

According to a DD News report from March, Trump’s executive order on election reforms also referenced India and Brazil, noting that both nations link voter identification to biometric databases, while the United States continues to rely on self-attestation for citizenship, a system he has repeatedly criticised.

Will Republicans ‘Nuke’ The Filibuster?

Trump urged them to “terminate the filibuster," warning that no legislation would pass for more than three years if they did not act.

“Start tonight — pass voter ID, end mail-in voting, do everything needed to make our elections secure and safe," Trump told the senators.

Turning to what appeared to be Senate Majority Leader John Thune, he said, “John, they’ve done continuing resolutions forever. This is the first time they haven’t. They won’t do a CR? They won’t do any bills!"

He added, “If you don’t get it, you’ll never pass voter ID."

Trump criticised Republicans for repeatedly relying on “continuing resolutions" (CR). Continuing resolutions are short-term funding measures that temporarily extend government spending and said their failure to pass one this time showed how gridlocked the Senate had become.

Thune has opposed ending the filibuster, saying it protects minority-party rights and prevents sudden, partisan shifts in federal law.

The filibuster is a procedural rule in the US Senate requiring 60 votes to advance most legislation, giving the minority party power to block bills. Ending it, often called invoking the “nuclear option," would allow bills to pass with a simple majority.

News world After Mamdani’s NYC Win, Trump Tells Republicans To Push Voter ID Laws, Kill Filibuster

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