Cory Booker’s 25 hour speech: a democratic stand against Trump.

On April 1, Sen. Cory Booker broke the record for longest speech in the Senate with a 25-hour-long protest against President Donald Trump. The previous record was held by former Sen. Strom Thurmond who, in 1957, held a 24-hour filibuster against the Civil Rights Act. Booker stated that despite Thurmond’s accomplishment, he was able to stand there and attempt to break it. Surpassing the length of Thurmond’s filibuster was one of his motives for the speech.

Beginning March 31 at 7 p.m. and ending April 1 at 8 p.m., the speech was a collaborative effort between Booker, other Democratic senators, and several constituents who provided material for Booker to read. There was also significant support online, outside the Capitol, and on the Senate floor when fellow Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy joined Booker to give him breaks from speaking when necessary.

Booker began his speech by dedicating it to civil rights activist John Lewis, saying that he was going to remain on the floor as long as he was physically able. For several days before the speech, Booker fasted in preparation to avoid any disruptions. Throughout the speech, he was able to take breaks by having his fellow senators ask questions. He also did not have to rely solely on original material because of help from his constituents; prior to the speech, Booker had collected 1,164 pages of news articles and letters sent in by citizens, all containing information on President Trump’s recent orders and their effects on the country.

When speaking about the current housing crisis, which President Trump has done nothing yet to fulfill his promises of fixing, Booker read letters from families negatively affected by it. Similarly, when addressing Trump’s plans for eliminating the Department of Education, Booker read letters from teachers and professors expressing their thoughts.

For 30 minutes of his speech, Booker recited a letter sent in by a Canadian woman who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Expanding on the topic of President Trump’s immigration system, Booker stated that what he was doing to immigrants was unconstitutional and harmful to the general public’s safety.

Other topics Booker touched on included proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare, on which an increasing number of U.S. citizens rely for healthcare and other financial benefits; rising rates of homelessness; and layoffs in the bureaucracy. 

Overall, Booker’s speech was a critique of President Trump, his administration, and Elon Musk, leader of the recently implemented Department of Government Efficiency. He declared the U.S. to be in a “Constitutional crisis,” bringing up Trump and Musk’s ignorance of judicial mandates, Trump’s willingness to stop protests and deport their participants, and every single one of his executive orders thus far into his second term. Booker’s breaking the record previously held by somebody trying to restrict the freedom of several groups of people in America was part of what made this speech so important. In a time at which much of the country feels unsure about what the future may hold, Booker has inspired people to speak out when they have concerns. Booker himself was inspired by the man he dedicated his speech to, quoting him multiple times throughout and saying, “I don’t know what John Lewis would do, but he would do something. He would say something. What we will have to repent for is not the words and violent actions for bad people, but the appalling silence and inaction of good people. This is our moral moment.”

Article by Abby Ketchum