Cory Booker gives marathon Senate speech to protest Trump policies

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Axios

6 hours ago


Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) launched a marathon speech on the Senate floor Tuesday evening (sic) to protest Trump administration policies and vowed to speak for "as long as I am physically able to."

The big picture: Booker said in video posted to media ahead of his speech that began at 7pm ET that he was heading to the Senate floor because President Trump and Elon Musk "have shown a complete disregard for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the needs of the American people."

For the record: The speech that was still going after 11pm ET isn't technically a filibuster. That's because filibusters are "designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question," per a Senate post.

What they're saying: "I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able," Booker said at the start of his speech.

"I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis."

Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2025/04/01/cory-booker-senate-speech-trump-protest-watch

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(NOTE: he started MONDAY evening and is STILL going at post time Tuesday morning ET)

They should ALL do this to gum up the works. The "master" of this used to be Robert Byrd (D-WV), who would rotate in his recitations of historic events - one in particular being about Hannibal.

[BoRaGard]

1. Thank you, Senator

[Canada Kid]

2. PRESIDENT Booker?

I could see this guy run for President! Real smart, no BS, young. I would vote for him. Hakeem Jeffries as a VP?

[OrlandoDem2]

3. I WANT MORE OF THIS!! LFGOOOOOOO!! THANK YOU, SENATOR!!

EVERY DEMOCRAT NEEDS TO DO THE SAME!!!

SHUT IT DOWN!!!

[MiHale]

5. Thank you, Senator.

[Bettie]

6. I'm glad he's doing it

and I wish that there was a group of other senators, waiting for their turn to take the floor and speak about what is being done to our country. The thing is, Republicans think it is only their country. We need to step in an remind them that it belongs to ALL of us, not just Trump and his Muskrat.

They could shut the senate down if there were enough to just keep the floor for days, maybe a week or so, draw some attention.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. "I wish that there was a group of other senators, waiting for their turn to take the floor"

There WAS one. He apparently took a break about 6 am and she picked up the ball (not sure who it was - ETA it may have been Tammy Baldwin but wasn't sure because her hair was pulled back and fastened up) - but if you check out the livestream now, Amy Klobuchar is speaking. There are others in there now (I "rewound" the video) including Andy Kim (D-NJ), so they are now doing a "colloquy" of multiples of them interacting with Booker.

[FBaggins]

8. He can yield the floor briefly for a question (which can be of some length)

He can't pass the floor to another senator because the next person to speak has to be recognized by the presiding senator.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Yes - I am a CSPAN junky

But what they have been doing within the past couple hours this morning is a "colloquy" between Senators (vs his "soliloquy" that went overnight).

[Bettie]

9. Good!

This was just starting when I went to bed, so I did not know the particulars.

This some desire to fight back against...whatever the fuck this whole mess is.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. This is something that Senators will do

as part of "Morning Business" (a "term" vs the actual time of day it happens if nothing else is explicitly scheduled) - and can last for who knows how long.

(ETA - the House has something similar that they call "'Special Orders' Speeches" where they can actually read their remarks "into the record" versus just submitting them to be entered into the record, and/or just speechify about stuff)

[FBaggins]

12. The Senate is adjourned until 3pm today

That's when he potentially bumps up against other priorities - assuming he makes it that far.

[mcar]

13. 9:51 am EST and he's still going!

[travelingthrulife]

14. So what. A speech to an empty room.

This co-equal branch of government thing is so cool!

[electric_blue68]

16. It's important people see their Sen or Rep speaking out in a forceful way

[BumRushDaShow]

17. Everything he (and the others who have joined him as part of a "colloquy" )

is going to go into the Congressional Record.

[electric_blue68]

15. 10:50AM Still going. Sen Warren is part of the dialouge w Sen Booker currently

[LetMyPeopleVote]

18. Fox News is melting down because Democrat Senator Cory Booker has been speaking on the Senate floor

This makes me smile
https://bsky.app/profile/professoryemiadams.bsky.social/post/3llrgh4inqc2e

Link to tweet

[BumRushDaShow]

19. And he has "captured a news cycle"