A Democratic US lawmaker shattered the record for the longest speech in Senate history on Tuesday, standing for over 25 hours to deliver a passionate protest against President Donald Trump’s “unconstitutional” actions. Senator Cory Booker’s display of endurance — he had to remain standing and could not even use the bathroom to hold the floor — recalled the famous scene in Frank Capra’s 1939 film classic “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”
The previous record for the longest Senate speech was held by South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Booker, only the fourth Black senator to be popularly elected to the body, surpassed that deadline, his voice still strong but emotional as he reached 25 hours and five minutes. The public galleries of the Senate chamber gradually filled as he approached the record, with more Democratic lawmakers joining the session — although Republicans largely stayed away. “This is a moral moment. It’s not left or right. It’s right or wrong,” Booker said as he concluded. He also quoted his mentor John Lewis, a 1960s civil rights movement leader, who urged activists to get into “good trouble,” before finally saying, “Madam President, I yield the floor.” The 55-year-old New Jersey native found a moment for humor as he passed the record, joking, “I want to go a little bit past this and then I’m going to deal with some of the biological urgencies I’m feeling.” A handful of people gathered outside the US Capitol, holding signs with messages like “Thank you Senator Booker.” Democratic Foundations Although Booker’s speech was not actually blocking the majority Republican Party from holding votes in the Senate, as a true filibuster would, his defiance quickly became a rallying point for beleaguered Democrats. Booker, a former presidential candidate, began his speech at 7 pm (2300 GMT) Monday and finished at 8:05 pm Tuesday. He criticized Trump’s radical cost-cutting policies, which have allowed his top advisor, Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, to cut entire government programs without congressional consent. The senator said Trump’s aggressive expansion of executive power had put US democracy at risk. “Unnecessary hardships are being borne by Americans of all backgrounds. And institutions which are special in America, which are precious and which are unique in our country, are being recklessly — and I would say even unconstitutionally — affected, attacked, even shattered,” Booker said. “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,” he said. But he offered words of encouragement to Trump’s opponents, saying as he concluded that “the power of the people is greater than the people in power.” Physical Toll Booker later detailed how he withstood the physical demands of the speech. “My strategy was to stop eating. I think I stopped eating Friday and then to stop drinking the night before I started on Monday,” he told reporters at the Capitol. The approach “had its benefits and had its really downsides […] different muscle groups start to really cramp up” with dehydration, he added. In a statement from his office, Booker added that he was “tired and a little hoarse.” Democratic lawmakers, in the minority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, have struggled to counter Trump’s efforts to downsize government, increase deportations, and dismantle many of the country’s political norms. “I just want to thank you for holding vigil for this country all night,” Senator Raphael Warnock told Booker on the floor. Booker dedicated much of his speech to criticizing Trump’s policies, but also recited poetry, discussed sports, and answered questions from colleagues to pass the time. “If you love your neighbor, if you love this country, show your love. Stop them from doing what they’re trying to [do],” he said.
