GOP lawmakers caught on undercover video gleefully thanking Manchin and Sinema for preserving Senate filibuster

Progressive activists erupted in anger on Friday after several Republican GOP lawmakers were caught on camera praising Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) for their opposition to ending the filibuster, which has stalled many of the left's major priorities.

"Wow. This video of Republicans laughing & praising Joe Manchin & Kyrsten Sinema for blocking the people's agenda needs to be seen by every American," wrote Nick Knudsen, executive director of DemCast USA, which bills itself as "the digital hub of the left."

The video, first posted by Democratic activist Lauren Windsor and being circulated widely on Twitter, begins with former GOP Senator Rick Santorum, who is apparently speaking to a group of Republican activists.

"A bunch of people are running around, particularly progressives, who all they want to talk about is, 'Let the people's will be done,'" Santorum says. "No! No, no no! We don't want the people's will to be done immediately because you have the passions of the majority. Remember, our Constitution was set up to protect who? Minority rights, not the majority rights."

GOP Congressman Andy Biggs is then shown telling the same group that Democrats "are pushing as far as they can."

"Fortunately for us, the filibuster is still in effect," Biggs says. "Without that, we would be dead meat. And this thing would be — then we'd be having a little bit more frantic discussion than we're having today. Thank goodness for Sinema and Joe Manchin."

Congressman Byron Donalds agrees, saying that he "likes it" when progressive Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is "going after" Manchin — eliciting gleeful laughter from the group.

"This is great for me," Donalds says. "It makes my job easier as a conservative because I can go to Joe Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema, and be like: 'Hey guys, I'm really sorry you're having to go through that. That's just a shame. Nobody should be treated like this. I just really thank you for standing up for the country.

"If you want to do one thing to keep the republic afloat, call Joe Manchin's office, Call Kyrsten Sinema's office," he says, encouraging the Republican activists to thank the two Democratic senators.

"Because what's happening up here is the fact that they've decided not to blow open the filibuster, in a lot of respects is going to save the republic from the worst things that the left wants to do, and HR 1 is just the tip of the iceberg," Donalds says, referring to the For the People Act.

Congressman Mike Johnson is shown telling the activists to "hold the line," including keeping the filibuster, before Santorum says: "It's a lot easier to pass giveaways than it is to take them away, and everybody thinks, 'Oh, we'll just take them away.' No, we won't. So please, if any of you have any thoughts about the idea that a filibuster removal was a good deal, and I know the previous president (Donald Trump) was for it and still is. It's a bad idea. Call Joe Manchin and say thank you."

Watch it and check out reactions below.