4 Takeaways From Cory Booker’s Record-Setting ‘Filibuster’ Speech

NEW JERSEY — Twenty-five hours. That’s how long Cory Booker stood on the U.S. Senate floor, railing against Donald Trump, Elon Musk and an ongoing deluge of controversial federal budget cuts in a record-setting speech that ended Tuesday.

The New Jersey senator’s speech, which lasted for a staggering 25 hours and 5 minutes, is now the new benchmark for any Washington D.C. lawmaker who wants to make a Mr. Smith-style stand before Congress.

>> Read More: Cory Booker Bashes Trump, Musk For 24+ Hours On Senate Floor

Booker’s speech technically wasn’t a filibuster, a political tactic that aims to delay or prevent a vote on a particular bill or other official action. However, U.S. senators are allowed to speak without time constraints as long as they don’t leave the chamber – a privilege that Booker pushed to its limit this week.

The 55-year-old lawmaker – a former college football player who is a jogging fanatic and one of the most well-known vegans in New Jersey – didn’t eat or take a bathroom break during his daylong speech. Booker also wasn’t able to sit down at any point or he would have yielded the floor, as per Senate rules. His only respite from speaking came when other senators interjected to ask him questions, giving him a brief rest.

According to Booker, he fasted for days before the speech and stopped drinking fluids the night before.

Watch video footage of Booker’s speech here, including its beginning and end.

The previous record-holder was a filibuster from the late South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond, which ended at 24 hours and 18 minutes. Speaking as a Democrat (he later switched to the Republican Party), Thurmond was attempting to block the Civil Rights Act of 1957, a landmark law that was signed later that year.

Other mega-lengthy speeches on the Senate floor have included Alfonse D’Amato, who argued against military funding cuts in his home state for 23 hours and 30 minutes in 1986, Wayne Morse, who spoke against the Submerged Lands Act for 22 hours and 26 minutes in 1953, and Ted Cruz’s 21-hour 19-minute filibuster against the Affordable Care Act in 2013.

After Booker began nearing Cruz’s filibuster mark, the Texas lawmaker joked that he was “contemplating pulling the fire alarm” to get him to stop.

Booker said he got a moment of levity after learning about Cruz’s quip. He also referenced Thurmond’s previous record.

“I’m not here, though, because of his speech – I’m here despite his speech,” Booker said. “I’m here because as powerful as he was, the people are more powerful.”

Here are some other things to know about Booker’s record-setting oration.

WHY DID HE DO IT?

According to Booker, he hit the Senate floor in an attempt to blast the Trump Administration for its “reckless actions, attempts to undermine our institutions and disregard for the rule of law.”

“In just 71 days, [President Trump] has inflicted harm after harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, the foundations of our democracy, and any sense of common decency,” Booker charged.

“These are not normal times in our nation,” Booker urged. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent and we all must do more to stand against them.”

WHAT DID HE TALK ABOUT?

Booker’s main targets were Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Here are some of the topics that Sen. Booker covered during his marathon Senate speech.

HEALTH CARE – Booker accused the Trump administration of attempting to slash Medicaid, defund critical medical research, and increase health care costs for Americans (watch video footage here). During the first Cabinet meeting of his new term, Trump said there are no plans to touch Medicaid benefits. However, many political experts have questioned the accuracy of this claim.

SOCIAL SECURITY – Booker blasted DOGE’s “efforts to lay off thousands of Social Security employees, strip benefits from millions of Americans, and dismantle a critical program that has served Americans for nearly a century” (watch video footage here). Trump has claimed Social Security will remain intact, a statement that he has repeated “over and over again,” according to White House spokespeople. See Related: Trump Puts New Restrictions On Social Security: What To Do In NJ

EDUCATION – Booker criticized the Trump administration’s recent steps to dismantle the Department of Education, which he said would cut critical funding for teachers (watch video footage here). Advocates have warned that the move will also be devastating to many students and their families. The White House claims that closing the Department of Education will return education authority to individual states, save taxpayer money and help ensure that federal funding will not advance “DEI or gender ideology.” Read More: Trump Signs Order Closing Dept. Of Education: See NJ Impacts

IMMIGRATION – Booker attacked the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, calling it “dangerous” and anti-constitutional, and saying that it will not solve the problems at the southern border of the U.S. (watch video footage here). Trump claims that the nation has seen an “unprecedented flood of illegal immigration” over the past four years, which poses “significant threats to national security and public safety.” See Related: ICE Detention Center In NJ Is First To Open Under Trump’s New Term

NATIONAL SECURITY – Booker accused Trump of pushing national security policies that are “leaving our allies abandoned, our adversaries emboldened, and Americans less safe” (watch video footage here). He specifically pointed his finger at the administration for “unlawfully dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), terminating foreign aid programs that save lives and benefit American businesses, and increasingly distancing the U.S. from our neighbors and partners while ceding ground to Russia and China.” See Related: DOGE Pulled Plug On USAID Diplomat Program, NJ Congresswoman Says

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING?

Former Vice President Kamala Harris – who narrowly lost the popular vote to Trump and was defeated by a wider margin in the Electoral College – congratulated Booker for his record-setting speech.

“The true measure of a leader is not based on who you beat down but on who you lift up,” Harris wrote of Booker, who competed against her for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

“For over 24 hours, my friend Cory Booker stood on the floor of the Senate and lifted up the voices of the American people harmed by the current administration,” Harris said. “We must continue to fight for the best of who we are as Americans. Thank you, Cory, for your leadership.”

Booker returned the compliment, telling Harris that her words “mean more to me than you can imagine.”

Several people disagreed with the former vice president.

“Yes, he got up there and talked for hours and hours and hours,” a commenter replied on Harris’ post. “And what did that accomplish? Absolutely nothing. But yet here comes the Democrats to cheer like something monumental just happened.”

“Celebrating Cory Booker’s ‘filibuster of nothing’ is pathetic,” another person commented. “But to be fair—it’s also vapid, empty, unimaginative, uninspiring, banal, and worn-out. And in that way it’s really the perfect analogy of the modern Democrat party.”

Meanwhile, Booker got a thumbs-up from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who thanked the senator for his “commitment to protecting the values our country was built on.”

“Embarrassed to be from New Jersey,” someone replied.

The senator – a Newark resident – also saw high praise from two local Democrat officials in his home county.

State Sen. Teresa Ruiz (NJ-29) said Booker broke a record that was “based in division and hate,” flipping the narrative towards inclusion and love.

“This is what the United States needs now more than ever,” she said.

“There are no words to describe how proud I am of Cory Booker,” agreed Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., adding that “legislators on both sides of the aisle should hear his message and do what’s right for America.”

Others weren’t so impressed.

“While Americans are out here struggling to pay bills, keep their jobs, and navigate a world that doesn’t stop for your theatrics, Booker is wasting everyone’s time with a 13-hour tantrum on the Senate floor,” a social media user commented midway through the senator’s speech.

As of Wednesday morning, Trump had not commented on Booker’s speech on his Truth Social or X profiles – although the pair have a history of throwing political jabs at each other.

WILL IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN NEW JERSEY?

New Jersey has seen ongoing protests against the Trump Administration since the president was inaugurated for his second term in January.

An upcoming national day of protest will take place against Trump, Musk and the ongoing federal budget cuts on Saturday, April 5. It will include local demonstrations across New Jersey.

The state has also seen shows of support for Trump, who managed to flip five counties from blue to red in the 2024 election.

Democrats still heavily outweigh Republicans in New Jersey, which has traditionally skewed blue on Election Day. Read More: NJ Voter Registration Totals Ahead Of 2024 Election (See The Breakdown)

According to data from the New Jersey Division of Elections, there were 2,535,498 registered Democrats in New Jersey and 1,652,061 Republicans as of Feb. 1. The state also had 2,509,165 unaffiliated voters and 78,246 voters registered with a third-party.

The Republican Party has been making steady gains over the past year, however – sharply outpacing Democrats when it comes to percentages.

Republicans gained 102,333 voters between February 2024 and February 2025: a 6.6 percent increase. Meanwhile, Democrats gained 38,980 voters over the same time period: a 1.56 percent increase.

Although nearly 6 percent more New Jersey voters cast presidential ballots for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, Donald Trump still tallied more than 1.96 million votes in the Garden State.

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