US Senator fights back tears as he breaks record with 24 hour Senate speech targeting Trump's agenda
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker held back emotions after speaking for more than 24 hours with minimal breaks on the Senate Chamber floor. Despite his failed 2020 presidential bid, he achieved this remarkable feat starting at 7pm Monday (31 March) and continued until 19:20 Tuesday evening (1 April).
Around 10am Tuesday, roughly 15 hours into his marathon, he declared "I've got fuel in the tank, man" while moving around the podium. His speech surpassed the previous record established by Democrat Strom Thurmond in 1957, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes. Remarkably, Booker remained in the chamber throughout without taking a single bathroom break.
He began by stating: "I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able." As the first Black senator representing New Jersey, Booker marked the final minutes of his record-breaking speech discussing civil rights leader John Lewis.
Upon surpassing the record, Booker became visibly moved, raising his eyes skyward and placing his hand over his heart as fellow Democrats applauded. The 55-year-old senator then admitted: "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."
During what he termed "America's moral moment," Booker heavily criticized the Trump administration's "complete disregard for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the needs of the American people." He explained his motivation saying: "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."
His extensive speech also targeted Elon Musk and what he described as Trump's "oligarchy." Booker firmly stated: "This is the people's house. It's Article One of the Constitution, and it's under assault!"
Our spending abilities, our budget authorities, the capacity to form departments like Education and USAID, face challenges from a president who doesn't honor this document." At one point, over 60,000 viewers watched his speech streaming live on TikTok.
To sustain his marathon address, he recited song lyrics, biblical passages, poetry, and referenced famous orations. He also shared stories from individuals affected by Trump's policies, including an account from a Canadian woman held by immigration officials for 12 days. While relating these hardship narratives, he visibly struggled to maintain composure.
His only speaking pauses came when listening to questions from fellow Democratic senators. Chuck Schumer, the leading Senate Democrat, praised him: "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 returned to congratulate Booker when he surpassed the record and express his pride.
Though not technically classified as a filibuster—a speaking tactic used to delay voting—Booker's extended address successfully disrupted chamber proceedings that should have commenced at midday.
