Senator Cory Booker Sets Record with 25 Hour Senate Speech Against Trump Administration

Rahaman Hadisur
Apr 3
2 min read

Hadisur Rahman, Jadetimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

Washington, D.C. Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., delivered a historic 25 hour speech on the Senate floor, breaking a nearly 70 year old record for the longest speech in Senate history. Beginning at 7 p.m. on Monday and concluding at 8:05 p.m. on Tuesday, Booker’s marathon speech was aimed at opposing the policies of former President Donald Trump and addressing concerns about Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.

The speech, which surpassed the previous record set by former Sen. Strom Thurmond, D/R-S.C., was marked by emotional moments and strong support from fellow Senate Democrats. At one point, Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., interjected to acknowledge Booker’s achievement.

"Do you know you have just broken the record? Do you know how proud this caucus is of you? Do you know how proud America is of you?" Schumer asked, as senators and attendees in the gallery gave Booker a standing ovation.

Several senators, including Tina Smith, D-Minn., were seen visibly moved, while Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., also joined in the applause.

Throughout his speech, Booker allowed other Democratic senators to briefly speak, including Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who recalled how Booker had supported him during a filibuster on gun violence nearly a decade ago.

A Call for Action

Booker’s speech focused on his concerns about the Trump administration’s policies, particularly its approach to healthcare and social welfare programs. "In just 71 days, this administration has inflicted so much harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, and the core foundations of our democracy," he declared.

He read messages from constituents who shared concerns about potential cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, despite Trump's previous assurances that these programs would remain untouched, aside from efforts to eliminate fraud.

Physical Toll and Reflection

After concluding his speech, Booker briefly met with reporters and admitted to experiencing muscle cramps and exhaustion from standing for over a day. "There’s just a lot of tactics I was using to make sure that I could stand for that long," he said.

When asked if his speech would influence future Democratic strategies, Booker remained reflective. "There’s a lot of people out there asking Democrats to do more and to take risks and do things differently. This seemed like the right thing to do, and from what my staff is telling me, a lot of people watched."

Despite the record-breaking achievement, Booker emphasized that his goal was not personal recognition but rather to elevate the voices of everyday Americans. "The mission was really to highlight their stories very painful and emotional stories and to let go and let God do the rest."

With the historic speech now concluded, political analysts are left wondering what impact, if any, it will have on shaping legislative discussions and the broader political landscape in the coming months.