US President Donald Trump has urged the Senate's Republican leader to resort to the nuclear option of scrapping long-standing chamber rules if needed to confirm Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. An aggressive opening to what's shaping up as a ferocious clash over the future of the high court. At the White House a day after nominating Gorsuch, Trump endorsed a scenario that would involve majority Republicans unilaterally changing Senate rules over the objections of the Democratic minority. <br/><br/>It could come into play if Democrats try to block Gorsuch's confirmation with a filibuster, as the liberal base is demanding, and would allow the GOP to confirm Gorsuch with a simple majority instead of the 60 votes now needed. Trump made his comments as Gorsuch traversed Capitol Hill, escorted by Vice President Mike Pence and winning extravagant praise from Republican senators.<br/>Democrats are still smarting over the treatment of Judge Merrick Garland, former President Barack Obama's nominee to the court after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia a year ago.