Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is laying the groundwork with a "nuclear option" to push through President Donald Trump's obstructed nominees.

Thune and the Senate GOP are working with an idea originally devised by Democrats during former President Joe Biden's administration as a solution to Republican obstruction efforts to Biden's nominees.

Now, in an ironic twist, the GOP is using that same plan to allow the Senate to confirm nominees in groups by holding a simple majority vote.

Democrats have gone beyond obstruction and are downright refusing to allow any Trump nominee to even advance in committees, despite not having the majority in the Senate.

Nuclear option

No nominee at any level has received a voice vote or moved through unanimous consent thanks to Democrats. Trump's agenda has been handicapped, and this situation is downright insurrection against the will of the voters who elected Trump in November.

Thune, clearly aware of the irony of this situation, quoted then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who said in 2022 that "Regardless of the party in the White House, both sides have long agreed that a President deserves to have his or her administration in place, quickly."

Obviously, these statements about what a President does or doesn't deserve hold no real weight. Democrats were angry about the GOP's obstruction in 2022, and now the shoe is on the other foot, except the GOP may actually pull the trigger on changing the rules.

Of course, Thune didn't stop there but directly called out Democrats for having "Trump derangement syndrome on steroids" and blasted them for claiming that Trump's nominees were historically bad but still voting to move some of them out of committee to score bipartisan points.

Thune stated, "We've got a crisis, and it's time to take steps to restore Senate precedent and codify in Senate rules what was once understood to be standard practice. This afternoon I will be taking the necessary procedural steps to amend the rules. It is an idea with a Democrat pedigree."

Thune's plan is going to be especially awkward for Democrat Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), and former Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), who drew up the legislation to change the Senate rules originally.

No doubt, Trump will be happy to see the Senate GOP finally get serious about approving his nominees after a long and undeserved August recess.

Trump agenda stalled

Democrats have fought like hell to stop Trump's agenda, most notably with vicious defensive campaigns against Trump's major nominees like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Health and Human Services RFK Jr.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) explained how the new system would work, saying, "What I'm just saying is we're returning to the way the Senate used to work. When the vast majority of nominees, after being scrutinized in committee, had their hearings voted out and sent to the floor. Then you know, Bush, Clinton — 99% of them by unanimous consent or by voice vote, and President Trump has had zero."

While Trump has installed some of his more high-profile nominees, the legions of district judges and U.S. attorney picks are key to Trump getting his proposals in many different areas rolled out.

Republicans in both the House and the Senate have been slacking and have wasted the better part of Trump's first year of this term. Things need to be turned around quickly so Trump's plans can get back on track.