Maine Senator Angus King just told Democrats he no longer supports killing the filibuster.
This is absolutely delicious political chaos, folks. The independent lawmaker who caucuses with the left side of the aisle dropped a bombshell on the Washington Post, as reported here, admitting that Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema got it right back in 2022 when they blocked the rules change. King literally said, "They were right, and I was wrong." You could practically hear progressive jaws hitting the floor from coast to coast.
Here is why this matters so much. Democrats have been salivating over nuking the filibuster the second they reclaim Senate control. Sen. Chris Murphy confirmed the strategy on a podcast. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries openly talked about court packing and Senate "reform" like they were inevitable. Progressive caucus resolutions had the whole thing mapped out. It was supposed to be a done deal.
Then King went rogue.
If Democrats manage to flip the Senate this November, they would likely need all 51 votes to torch the filibuster and ram through their wish list of court packing, voting legislation, and immigration overhauls. With King holding firm, that math suddenly falls apart. They would not just need a Senate majority. They would need a King-proof majority.
But before Republicans pop the champagne, there is a massive caveat here. King already reversed his position once. He backed eliminating the filibuster in 2022, and now he is walking that back. Politicians who brand themselves as fiercely independent have a funny habit of caving when their caucus turns up the heat.
Just look at the Manchin playbook. The West Virginia senator positioned himself as the great moderate wall against progressive excess for months during the Build Back Better saga. He extracted concessions, he grandstanded, he played the principled holdout. Then he turned around and voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which was essentially the same massive climate and spending package wearing a fresh label. Manchin's so-called principled stand had an expiration date. King's might too.
And here is the real kicker that should keep GOP strategists up at night. Whether Democrats can destroy the filibuster depends entirely on whether they win the Senate in the first place. Republicans currently hold the chamber. They spent August recess bickering over procedural maneuvers instead of passing the SAVE America Act with the majority they already possess.
That legislation is sitting right there, waiting. Republicans came back in September with zero excuses left. The fate of American election integrity should not rest on the shoulders of one independent senator from Maine who has already demonstrated he can change his mind whenever the wind shifts.
King's reversal is a welcome speed bump for progressive ambitions. But it is not a permanent roadblock. It is not a strategy. Republicans control the Senate right now, today, in this moment. The clock is ticking, and banking on Angus King staying put is a gamble no serious party should be willing to take.
Read more conservative news commentary at: USA Journal News
