Sen. Cory Booker Breaks Record for Longest Senate Speech, Slams Trump Administration’s Policies
Senator Cory Booker, a Democratic senator from New Jersey, made history on Tuesday by setting the record for the longest speech in Senate history, surpassing the 1957 record set by segregationist Strom Thurmond. Booker’s marathon speech, lasting 25 hours and 4 minutes, began on Monday evening and carried through the night, addressing what he described as the “grave and urgent” threats posed by the Trump administration.
Booker’s remarks were aimed at criticizing the Trump administration’s policies, which he argued were undermining essential American values and institutions. He called for a more forceful response to the sweeping policy changes, including cuts to the federal workforce, ramped-up deportations, and aggressive tariffs. His impassioned speech was met with raucous applause from Democratic senators, with Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis joining in the applause as well.
During his remarks, Booker urged lawmakers to take action for the betterment of the country, invoking the words of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, calling for Americans to get into “good trouble” in order to challenge what he saw as an administration that was veering away from the nation’s core principles. As he surpassed the previous record, Booker remarked, “This is a moral moment. It’s not left or right; it’s right or wrong. Let’s get in good trouble.”
While Booker’s marathon speech received widespread praise from his supporters, some critics, including a White House spokesperson, mocked him for seeking attention, drawing comparisons to his previous failed presidential campaign.
Booker’s speech resonated widely, with more than 350 million likes on a live stream on his TikTok account, and over 28,000 voicemails of encouragement. His remarks drew attention to the importance of standing up against what he called the erosion of American values, and he reminded Americans of their duty to protect the nation’s future.
“Unnecessary hardships are being borne by Americans of all backgrounds, and institutions which are special in America, which are precious, which are unique in our country, are being recklessly — and I would say even unconstitutionally — affected, attacked and even shattered,” he said.
Booker remained standing and did not leave the floor for a bathroom break during his entire speech because he would have lost control of the Senate floor if he left his desk or sat down. He was joined at times by other Democratic senators who chimed in to speak and ask questions while Booker retained control of the floor — giving his voice a rest.
The lawmakers highlighted their own criticisms of the Trump administration, laying out the impact of Trump’s first few months in office and asking Booker for his perspective.
“Twelve hours now I’m standing, and I’m still going strong, because this president is wrong, and he’s violating principles that we hold dear and principles in this document that are so clear and plain,” Booker said around 7 a.m., holding up a copy of the Constitution.
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Booker got a brief break at noon, when the Senate chaplain led a daily prayer. Chaplain Barry Black’s prayer mentioned the floor aides and police officers who stayed up all night to accommodate the speech.
“We are grateful for the efforts of the floor staff, the Capitol Police, the stenographers, the pages and all those who have worked through the night. We pray you give them the strength they need for this day today,” Black said.
Booker then resumed speaking.
His office said that the speech stemmed from 1,164 pages of prepared material.
During his remarks, Booker shared letters from constituents and read news articles. He spoke about Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., the civil rights icon who died in 2020, calling him “one of my greatest heroes of life.”
“I start tonight thinking about him; I’ve been thinking about him a lot during these last 71 days. ‘Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, help redeem the soul of America,’” Booker said, invoking Lewis’ words. “And had to ask myself, if he’s my hero, how am I living up to his words?”
Booker added that he was delivering the speech “with the intention of getting in some ‘good trouble.’”
Asked for comment on Booker’s speech before he set the record, a White House spokesperson mocked the senator with a reference to his failed 2020 presidential campaign.
“Cory Booker is looking for another ‘I am Spartacus’ moment, but that didn’t work for his failed presidential campaign, and it didn’t work to block President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. When will he realize he’s not Spartacus — he’s a spoof?” the spokesperson, Harrison Fields, said in a statement.
Long speeches have put the national spotlight on other senators. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spoke for nearly 21 hours, 19 minutes to oppose the Affordable Care Act in 2013. In 2010, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., delivered an 8½-hour speech that is often credited with raising his political profile.
Twenty-two hours in, Booker acknowledged he was lagging. “I don’t have much gas left in the tank,” he said around 5 p.m., before continuing.
“More Americans need to stand up and say enough is enough,” he said.
Because of his lengthy remarks, a vote to eliminate tariffs on Canadian imports that had been expected for Tuesday is now likely to happen Wednesday.
At around 5:30 p.m., Booker’s speech became the second longest in Senate history when he passed the 22-hour, 26-minute mark set in 1953 by Sen. Wayne Morse, D-Ore.