Cory Booker breaks Senate record with 25-hour speech against Trump. NBC News
Senator Cory Booker made history with a 25-hour speech in the Senate, setting a new record while speaking against former President Donald Trump’s policies. He started and ended his speech by honoring John Lewis, the late congressman and civil rights leader, who famously urged people to make “good trouble” to fight injustice.
Booker’s speech was not just about setting records—it was about making a strong political statement. He criticized Trump’s policies, which he claimed were harming everyday Americans. He read letters from citizens, drawing parallels between the struggles of the Civil Rights era and today’s challenges. He described the current political climate as a “moral moment,” emphasizing that the debate was not about politics but about right and wrong.
The previous record for the longest Senate speech was held by Strom Thurmond, a segregationist senator from South Carolina, who filibustered against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Booker said he had always been troubled by that fact and felt it was time to break that record for a different cause—justice and equality.
Booker, who comes from a family with both enslaved ancestors and slave owners, tied his speech to the ongoing fight for democracy. Throughout the speech, several members of the Congressional Black Caucus stood in the Senate chamber to show support. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called it a “powerful moment” in history, while Representative Hank Johnson described it as an “act of resistance.”
Booker’s speech came at a time when many Democrats were struggling to push back against Trump’s policies. With Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, Democratic leaders were searching for ways to fight back. Some activists believed Booker’s speech was a sign that the party needed to be more aggressive in its approach.
Grassroots organizers and political activists have been urging Democrats to stand firm in their beliefs, rather than just opposing Republican policies. Activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham praised Booker, saying he was reminding America and his party to stand up for their values, not just against their opponents.
Toward the end of his speech, Booker recalled his last conversation with John Lewis, who had spent his life fighting for civil rights and justice. Booker promised Lewis that he and others would continue to fight for what is right. He ended his speech by imagining what Lewis would say if he were still alive today.
"John Lewis would say, do something,” Booker declared. “He wouldn’t treat this moment like it was normal.”
