Cory Booker’s Historic Speech: What Happened and What Does it Mean?
Senator Cory Booker delivers a 25-hour long speech against the Trump administration. Source: Senate TV
On Monday, March 31st, Senator Cory Booker (D, New Jersey) took to the Senate floor to deliver a speech criticizing the Trump administration. He did not stop speaking for 25 hours, breaking a 58-year-old record for the longest speech delivered in the Senate, previously held by Senator Storm Thurmond’s 1957 filibuster against civil rights. He did not eat, sleep, rest his legs, use the bathroom, or leave the Senate for any time during this marathon speech. Gathering 350 million likes on a TikTok live stream, this speech provides many demoralized Democrat leaders and voters with a spark of hope and provides guidance on ways to protest the Trump administration.
Beginning at 7pm on the 31st, Booker started his speech by pledging to disrupt “the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able.” Throughout the speech, Booker read letters from constituents who claimed they had been harmed by Trump’s policies, warned of this ‘grave and urgent’ moment in American history, criticized Trump’s “lawlessness and undermining American values,” and took questions from fellow Democrat senators who provided more topics to talk about to fill more time. Following the speech, Democrat Senator Peter Welch characterized this moment as ‘inspirational,’ and ‘teaching Democrats a lesson’ on how to push back against Trump. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer even interrupted Booker mid-speech to ask him if he knew how proud the caucus and America was of him.
Despite the positive reaction from fellow Democrats and the sheer number of viewers and attention this speech gathered, Booker’s speech itself will not stop Trump’s efforts. Many Democrats, voters and leaders alike, have been critical of the party for not doing more to stand up to the Trump administration. Booker’s speech came amidst a time where there have been calls for Democrats to do more and act with a greater sense of urgency. The speech provides an example for how Democrats can resist the Trump administration. The momentum from this speech has the potential to start a greater movement within the Democratic Party and the American people as a whole, but only if this speech is used as a launching point and not just a one-off.
Upon his return to New Jersey, Booker appeared at a town hall meeting where he continued to call on people to resist the Trump administration. On April 5, four days after Booker’s Senate speech and on the same day as his appearance in a town hall meeting, more than 1,200 protests across the country took place. These “Hands Off” protests against Trump and Elon Musk’s ‘illegal power grab’ are the largest demonstrations of Trump’s second term so far, and provide an example of Democrats taking action and no longer passively being frustrated with the Trump administration.
Cory Booker’s 25-hour long Senate speech is historic for many reasons. Not only is it the longest Senate speech ever recorded or an impressive biological feat for the human body, it is an example of how a demoralized Democratic party can begin to come together to push back against the Trump administration. Following Booker’s speech and call to action, mounting frustration resulted in mass protests breaking out across the country. As Trump’s second term continues, Democrats can either passively sit back and bottle up frustration or continue to push back against Trump, building on the momentum initiated by Senator Booker.