Senator Cory Booker, the senior Democrat from New Jersey, delivered the longest speech in U.S. Senate history, speaking from 7 p.m. on March 31 to 8:05 p.m. on April 1. In honor of the late civil rights leader and Representative John Lewis, he dedicated the 25-hour and 5-minute speech to the pursuit of “good trouble,” drawing national attention.
Though uncommon in the Senate chamber, such acts of resolve have long defined the political identity of the often polished, succinct, and media-savvy Booker—this moment marked a return to form.
Booker’s marathon speech may have surprised some, but it felt familiar to those who followed his early political career. In 1998, as a 29-year-old challenger for a seat on the Newark Municipal Council, he staged a 10-day hunger strike to protest open-air drug markets and neglected housing conditions.
He slept in a tent outside a housing project, refusing to move until the city addressed the crisis. That bold, physical commitment to his constituents captured local and national headlines—and ultimately helped him pull off an upset victory.
More than two decades later, the now two-time elected senator returned to protest—this time against the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration—by once again using his voice, body, and stamina to command national attention, vowing to speak “for as long as I am physically able.”
Though not a filibuster intended to delay or block legislation, Booker’s speech followed strict Senate floor rules. To maintain control of the floor, a senator must remain standing, speak continuously, and refrain from eating—only water or milk may be consumed.
Democratic colleagues—including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, and Senator Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland—assisted by posing questions, giving Booker brief moments to rest his voice without yielding the floor.
“In just 71 days, the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy, and even our aspirations as a people for, from our highest offices, a sense of common decency,” Booker said at the start of his marathon speech. “These are not normal times in our nation. And they should not be treated as such.”
He expressed concern over attacks on the judiciary and the erosion of democratic norms. Throughout the speech, Booker read letters from constituents impacted by recent policy shifts, bringing a human dimension to otherwise abstract legislative decisions.
Among the policies Booker criticized: On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order initiating the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. The order aimed to shift educational governance to states and local communities and, as a result, terminated substantial federal education funding.
Since February, the administration has launched large-scale layoffs across multiple federal agencies, cutting approximately 10,000 positions from the Department of Health and Human Services and thousands more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The broader political impact of Booker’s speech may hinge on the Democratic Party’s response. While the moment has dominated the political news cycle, its momentum could fade without continued engagement from party leadership.
Analysts note that Democratic figures may reference the speech in interviews, rallies, or fundraising efforts. The address has already gained substantial traction online, with livestreams drawing millions of viewers and clips generating hundreds of millions of views across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Portions of the speech may continue to circulate in the coming weeks, particularly through social media engagement tied to party messaging.
