Senator Cory Booker, representing New Jersey, delivered a historic speech lasting over 24 hours on the Senate Chamber floor. Although he did not succeed in his 2020 presidential bid, Booker demonstrated remarkable endurance by speaking continuously with minimal pauses.
Booker commenced his speech on Monday night (31 March) at 7 pm, focusing on criticisms of President Donald Trump’s policies. He continued speaking until 19:20 the following evening (1 April). At 10 am on Tuesday, around 15 hours into his speech, he confidently stated, “I’ve got fuel in the tank, man,” while pacing around the podium.
This marathon speech surpassed the record set by Democrat Strom Thurmond in 1957, whose filibuster lasted 24 hours and 18 minutes. Remarkably, Booker did not exit the chamber, even refraining from bathroom breaks.
Beginning his address, Booker declared, “I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able.” As New Jersey’s first Black senator, he referenced civil rights icon John Lewis during the 19th minute of his 24th hour.
Upon realizing he had set a new record, Booker, visibly moved, looked upward and placed a hand over his heart, receiving applause from his Democratic colleagues.
The senator, 55, humorously acknowledged, “All right, I want to go a little bit past this and then I’m going to deal with some of the biological emergencies I’m feeling.”
“I don’t know what John Lewis would say right now… but John Lewis would say something, he would do something. He wouldn’t treat this moral moment like it was normal,” Booker commented.
During what he termed ‘America’s moral moment’, Booker criticized the Trump administration for its “complete disregard for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the needs of the American people”. He expressed his concerns, stating, “I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis, I believe that not in a partisan sense, because so many of the people that have been reaching out to my office in pain, in fear, having their lives upended — so many of them identify themselves as Republicans.”
He also targeted figures like Elon Musk and denounced what he saw as Trump’s ‘oligarchy’. Booker stressed the importance of the Senate, saying, “This is the people’s house. It’s Article One of the Constitution, and it’s under assault! Our spending powers, our budgetary powers, the power to establish agencies like the Department of Education and USAID, it’s under assault by a president that doesn’t respect this document.”
At one point, his speech garnered an audience of over 60,000 viewers on a TikTok live stream.
To keep the audience engaged, Booker quoted song lyrics, referenced biblical messages, recited poetry, and drew inspiration from famous speeches. He also shared personal messages from individuals affected by Trump’s administration, including a Canadian woman detained by immigration authorities for 12 days. These poignant stories of hardship were emotionally challenging for Booker to recount.
During the lengthy address, Booker only paused his speech to listen to questions from fellow Democrats.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer praised Booker’s strength and clarity, stating, “Your strength, your fortitude, your clarity, has just been nothing short of amazing, and all of America is paying attention to what you’re saying.” Schumer later commended Booker for breaking the record and expressed his pride in the senator.
Although not technically a filibuster, as it didn’t aim to delay a vote, Booker’s speech nonetheless disrupted the chamber’s proceedings, which were scheduled to begin at midday.