Cory Booker’s marathon Senate floor speech stretches overnight in protest over Trump actions.
America News Today - New Jersey Senator Cory Booker’s extended speech on the Senate floor carried into early Tuesday morning as he protested actions taken by President Donald Trump’s administration. Booker vowed to continue speaking “as long as I am physically able.”
The Democratic senator, a member of his party’s leadership team, began his remarks at 7 p.m. ET on Monday evening. His effort comes as Democratic leaders face mounting pressure to take a stronger stand against Trump.
By 5 a.m. ET, Booker was still speaking, covering a range of topics.
“I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able,” he declared at the start. “I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis.”
Booker criticized the president’s actions, arguing that in just 71 days, Trump had jeopardized Americans’ safety, financial stability, and democratic institutions. “These are not normal times in America,” he said. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate.”
Although not a filibuster—since he wasn’t blocking legislation or a nomination—Booker’s speech kept the Senate floor open, requiring floor staff and Capitol Police to remain on duty. The Senate had concluded voting before he began speaking.
In his remarks, Booker warned against potential Medicaid cuts proposed by congressional Republicans, stressing the harm they would cause to his constituents and Americans nationwide. While Republicans deny plans to cut Medicaid directly, they have proposed significant spending reductions under the guise of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse—without specifying which programs would be affected.
At one point, Booker invoked the late Senator John McCain, recalling his decisive 2017 vote on health care and drawing parallels to the current debate.
“It is maddening in this country to create a greater health care crisis and not solve it,” Booker said, criticizing lawmakers for repeatedly engaging in partisan battles instead of working toward meaningful solutions.
Speaking passionately, he addressed McCain directly: “Senator McCain, I know you wouldn’t sanction this. I know you would be screaming. I’ve seen how angry you can get, John McCain. I’ve seen you tear people apart on this floor, Democrat and Republican alike, for making the same mistakes over and over again.”
Throughout his speech, Booker fielded questions from Democratic colleagues, allowing him brief breaks while retaining the floor. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schemer was the first to question him, praising his “strength and conviction.”
“You’re taking the floor tonight to highlight the inequities that will hurt people—middle-class families, the poor, and our fiscal stability,” Schumer said. “What drives you to take this unusual step and speak for so long?”
Booker later yielded to Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, noting that she had prayed with him before he began speaking.
“My sister came over and prayed that I could stand for a long time,” Booker shared. “She knew what we were trying to do—create, in the spirit of John Lewis, ‘good trouble’ in this institution, to challenge the status quo.”
The Senate has witnessed several marathon speeches in recent years, including efforts by Jeff Merkley in 2017, Chris Murphy in 2016, Rand Paul in 2015, and Ted Cruz in 2013. The longest speech on record remains that of the late Strom Thurmond, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957 to oppose the Civil Rights Act.