Cory Booker Delivers Record-Breaking 25-Hour Senate Speech in Protest of Trump
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker sets Senate record with a 25-hour, 4-minute speech, voicing a powerful protest against President Donald Trump’s policies.
Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey has made history with the longest speech ever delivered on the Senate floor, speaking for 25 hours and 4 minutes in a dramatic and symbolic protest against former President Donald Trump.
Though not officially a filibuster—an effort to block legislation—Booker’s marathon speech effectively delayed Senate proceedings in the Republican-led chamber. Senate rules require speakers to remain standing throughout such speeches and prohibit bathroom breaks.
Booker began his speech at approximately 7:00 p.m. on Monday and concluded it at 8:06 p.m. on Tuesday. The previous record, held by Strom Thurmond since 1957, lasted 24 hours and 18 minutes during his opposition to the Civil Rights Act. Thurmond, notably, was a Democrat at the time.
In his speech, Booker described the moment as "grave and urgent" for America, expressing concern over the direction of the country under Trump's leadership. The 55-year-old Democrat and former presidential candidate, who currently holds the fourth-highest-ranking position in the Senate Democratic caucus, filled the hours by reading letters from constituents, reciting poetry, discussing sports, and fielding questions from fellow senators.
Highlighting his personal background as a descendant of both slaves and slave-owners, Booker reflected on the weight of history and the power of the people, referencing Thurmond's speech: "I'm here because as powerful as he was, the people are more powerful."
He admitted physical strain toward the end of the speech, joking that it was time to "deal with some of the biological urgencies I'm feeling." Throughout the effort, he received support and questions from several Democratic colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Dick Durbin, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Booker's speech, though not tied to a specific legislative battle, served as a rallying moment for the Democratic Party, which is currently in the minority in both chambers of Congress and out of the White House. It also became the longest Senate address since Republican Senator Ted Cruz’s 21-hour filibuster against the Affordable Care Act in 2013.
Cruz, speaking to CBS, acknowledged the physical demands of such an undertaking. Recalling his own speech, he said he wore comfortable shoes and minimized water intake—describing his strategy as "nothing in, nothing out."
Booker’s passionate stand underscores a larger narrative of resistance within the Democratic Party and highlights the symbolic weight of extended speech as a form of protest in American politics.
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