Democrat New Jersey Senator Cory Booker carried out a lengthy speech overnight Monday into Tuesday in opposition to the policies of President Donald Trump.
Booker began speaking on the Senate floor late Monday, pledging to stay at the podium for as long as he could endure. Well into the following day, he continued undeterred, still delivering remarks after 14 hours had passed.
“These are not normal times in our nation,” Booker said at the start of his speech. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”
During his address, Booker criticized recent reductions in Social Security services, which he said were implemented under Trump advisor Elon Musk through the Department of Government Efficiency. He also warned of potentially broader attacks on the nation’s social programs, despite assurances from Republican lawmakers that Social Security itself remains untouchable.
Booker, switching between wearing and removing his glasses, read aloud from what he described as letters written by constituents. One of the letters expressed fear over Trump’s mention of annexing Greenland and Canada, and referenced what the writer called a “looming constitutional crisis.”
“I hear you. I see you, and I’m standing here in part because of letters like yours,” Booker said.
By Tuesday morning, Booker received support from fellow Senate Democrats, who stepped in to ask him questions—offering him a short reprieve. He welcomed their questions but made it clear he would not surrender control of the floor.
As noted on the official Senate website, the longest solo speech in Senate history is held by Strom Thurmond, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes to oppose the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Booker referred to both Thurmond and Georgia Representative John Lewis during his speech, emphasizing that significant change requires public involvement and sustained effort.
“You think we got civil rights one day because Strom Thurmond — after filibustering for 24 hours — you think we got civil rights because he came to the floor one day and said, ‘I’ve seen the light,’” Booker said. ”No, we got civil rights because people marched for it, sweat for it and John Lewis bled for it.”
Now in his second Senate term, the 55-year-old Booker made a run for the presidency in 2020. He launched his campaign in Newark, where he resides, but ultimately withdrew after failing to meet polling requirements for a January debate.
Before gaining national prominence, Booker earned recognition within the Democratic Party as a promising figure. He led Newark, New Jersey’s most populous city, as mayor from 2006 through 2013. His academic résumé includes degrees from Stanford, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and Yale Law School. Early in his career, he worked as a lawyer serving nonprofit organizations and held a seat on Newark’s City Council prior to his mayoral term.
He won his Senate seat in a 2013 special election following the passing of longtime Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg. Booker secured a full term in 2014 and was reelected in 2020.
As Newark’s mayor, Booker played a central role in securing a $100 million pledge from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to improve the city’s education system in 2010. About ten years later, Zuckerberg reflected to the Associated Press that one key takeaway from the Newark donation was the importance of involving the community in such efforts.
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