Mary Trump Has A Dire Warning After Joe Biden's Speech On Voting Rights

When President Joe Biden stood before the nation in Philadelphia, he delivered what some observers, like PBS' Yamiche Alcindor, called one of the president's "most passionate speeches of his presidency, possibly of his entire career" (via Twitter). "He is saying very clearly that this is a crisis as important as what led to the Civil War," Alcindor continued.

And while there was great enthusiasm for Biden's impassioned oration, there were words of caution from watchers like Mary Trump who, like many around the country, were tired of seeing laws restrict voting rights across the country. She also called out the president for failing to mention the one thing commentators had in mind as the president delivered his address. She tweeted: "Good speech but it won't make a bit of difference if Senate Democrats don't end the filibuster. Our democracy won't survive otherwise. That's not hyperbole" (via Twitter).

A number of initiatives — including the formation of an independent commission to look into the January 6 Capitol riot (via The Washington Post) — have already fallen victim to the filibuster, which demands that 60 senators support debate on specific bills. This has been a problem because the Senate is currently divided 50/50, and deep partisanship means most motions are not likely to get passed (via Reuters). One prominent Washington think tank, Brookings, has said that while Biden can weigh in on the filibuster, it is up to the Senate to act for or against it.

Mary Trump's call for Senate Democrats to end the filibuster resonated with her followers, but some were divided over how the matter should be handled. "Exactly!!! I'm like ... 'Dude! We elected you and Congress to act, not waste time!' These speeches are pointless and meaningless! I don't wanna hear anymore! I wanna see action!!" wrote one Twitter user. 

Another called out two moderate Democrats who have been perceived to be voting along Republican lines: "Do you really believe [Senators] Sinema and Manchin are persuadable? I don't. Don't put this on Biden. And his presidency has hardly been wasted when you consider the international normalization that has been restored. That's big." 

Others felt that getting rid of the filibuster could end up biting the Democrats in the end. This social media user wrote: "I agree but what if Dems lose in 2022 and [Republicans] take control, without the filibuster to put them in check?" 

A fourth responded to Mary's frustration, saying: "I just posted this on my timeline: 'Ending the filibuster is a checkers move. Carving out legislation to pass with a simple majority is a chess move. Joe is a chess player. You can thank him later.'"