Republicans in the Senate need to wake up. Fast.
President Trump is trying to govern. He’s trying to fill out his administration with the people he needs to carry out the conservative agenda he was elected on—twice. But while Democrats in the Senate continue to use every delay tactic in the book to obstruct even the most noncontroversial nominees, some Senate Republicans are still wringing their hands over whether to take action.
Here’s the situation: there are roughly 140 Trump nominees—many for lower-level executive positions—currently stalled in the Senate. These aren’t fire-breathing ideologues or controversial crusaders. These are the men and women needed to run the federal agencies, carry out the law, and implement the president’s policies. In a sane world, they’d be confirmed with little fanfare. But this isn’t a sane world—it’s Washington, D.C., where Democrats have perfected the art of delay.
Faced with this obstruction, many Senate Republicans are pushing to use what’s been dubbed the “nuclear option”—a change to Senate rules allowing nominees to be confirmed with a simple majority vote, bypassing the filibuster. It’s a legitimate tool that Democrats themselves have used in the past. In fact, it was Harry Reid, the late Democratic Senate leader, who first detonated the nuclear option in 2013 to ram through Obama’s nominees. Republicans expanded it in 2017 for Supreme Court picks. The precedent is set.
But now, in 2025, some Republicans are suddenly squeamish. They’re worried about “tradition,” about “comity,” about how it might look. Here’s a newsflash: voters didn’t send Republicans to Washington to preserve cocktail-party norms. They sent them to fight—to drain the swamp, to dismantle the administrative state, and to get things done.
Let’s be perfectly clear: Democrats are not playing by the old rules. They haven’t for years. They talk a big game about “norms” and “institutions,” but only when it helps them. When it comes time to actually govern, they’ll do whatever it takes to win. Just look at what they did under Obama. Just look at how they tried to kneecap Trump during his first term with endless investigations, fake impeachment trials, and bureaucratic sabotage.
Now that Trump is back in office and the GOP controls the Senate, there is absolutely no excuse for allowing Democrats to paralyze the executive branch. Every day that passes without these nominees confirmed is a day the Left continues to exert soft power through entrenched bureaucrats and holdovers from the Biden years.
The American people voted for change. They voted for leadership that defends our borders, strengthens our economy, and restores American greatness. That can’t happen if President Trump is forced to govern with one hand tied behind his back.
Senate Republicans who hesitate on this issue need to be reminded: you weren’t sent to Washington to be liked by The Washington Post. You were sent to deliver results. If Democrats want to play hardball, then it’s time to play hardball. Enough with the pearl-clutching over Senate tradition. The Senate isn’t a country club—it’s a battleground.
As President Trump said in his second inaugural address, “We are returning power to the people, where it belongs. And no unelected bureaucracy or radical obstructionist will stand in the way of that mission.” That mission starts by confirming his nominees—immediately.
The nuclear option isn’t nuclear anymore. It’s the new normal. And if Republicans can’t muster the courage to use it, then they’re not serious about governing. The Left never hesitates to use every tool at their disposal. It’s time we did the same.
The clock is ticking. The American people are watching. And patience is wearing thin.
