WASHINGTON (WOWO) — Indiana Senator Jim Banks says President Donald Trump has been privately pressing Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster, but despite the former president’s intensity on the issue, Banks says the chances of doing away with the 60‑vote threshold remain slim.

Banks discussed the behind‑the‑scenes push during an exclusive with WOWO’s Kayla Blakeslee on Fort Wayne’s Morning News, recalling a breakfast Trump convened at the White House in November.

“He called us to the White House on a Tuesday afternoon for breakfast on Wednesday morning, all the Republicans in the Senate,” Banks said. “I knew something was up… and he was very passionate, made a very passionate case for us to do away with the filibuster because it blocks us from doing all of the big things that the voters thought that they elected us to do.”

Banks said he shares Trump’s frustration, particularly after watching GOP‑led House bills repeatedly stall in the Senate.
“I was frustrated the whole time I was in the House because we would pass good bills… and send it to the Senate. Even with the Republican‑led Senate, things didn’t happen,” he said.

Banks: Not Enough GOP Votes to Kill the Rule

Despite his support for eliminating the filibuster, Banks acknowledged Republicans don’t have the votes.

“It’s not going to happen,” he said plainly. “It takes 50, 51 votes to do away with the filibuster… and there are more than four Republican senators who will never do away with it.”

Several GOP senators — including John Thune, Tom Tillis, and Lisa Murkowski — have publicly defended the filibuster. Banks said conversations with holdouts are “very frustrating.”

“Their case is: you do away with the filibuster and we do all these things, and then as soon as the Democrats take control, then they undo it,” he said.

One of the strongest defenders of the rule, according to Banks, is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“Take Mitch McConnell — he’s never going to vote to break the filibuster rules,” Banks said. “He likes to think of himself as an institutionalist.”

Banks argued change in the Senate moves slowly because of six‑year terms, but he predicted McConnell’s departure could eventually shift GOP leadership toward more Trump‑aligned voices.
“It takes a lot longer to replace Mitch McConnell with someone that’s more like me or Eric Schmitt or some of the more Trump‑aligned senators,” he said.

Reconciliation Still on the Table

Banks noted Republicans do still have one major tool available: the budget reconciliation process, which allows certain legislation to pass with a simple majority.

“There is a tool called reconciliation… that’s what we use to pass the big, beautiful bill and avoid the filibuster,” he said. “So the reconciliation process is one avenue for us to do some things, even big things on health care.”

Banks on Venezuela: “I Stand With President Trump”

Banks also weighed in on rising tensions with Venezuela, saying Congress has economic and military tools it could use — but that he strongly supports Trump’s more aggressive approach toward drug‑running networks.

“First and foremost, I stand with President Trump and take out these narco‑terrorists who are flooding our country with drugs,” Banks said.

He criticized some Republicans for pushing back against Trump’s proposed strikes on drug‑smuggling boats.
“These are narco‑terrorists. We should hold them accountable,” he said.

Banks argued the U.S. must show strength:
“I’m a big believer in peace through strength. President Trump is as well. And taking out some of these narco‑terrorists… and putting the rest of them on notice that we’re going to kill you, too. If you flood America with drugs and kill Americans, we’re coming after you.”

Banks said he believes Trump and the Pentagon are “doing the right thing.”