Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) took to the Senate floor Monday evening to protest what he called a “crisis of democracy” under the Trump administration — and as of Tuesday morning, he’s still going.
Booker began speaking at 7 p.m. EDT and vowed to continue “for as long as I am physically able.” By 10 a.m. the next day, the New Jersey Democrat remained on his feet with more than 32,000 people tuning in to the live YouTube stream of the speech.
In the chamber, he has leaned on the support of several Democratic colleagues who have taken turns asking him questions — a parliamentary tactic that allows him brief moments of relief without yielding the floor.
“I’ve been hearing from people all over my state and all over the nation calling on Congress to do more,” Booker said in a video posted to social media before beginning his speech. “We all have a responsibility to do something different, to cause — as John Lewis said — ‘good trouble.’ And that includes me.”
Time to speak up pic.twitter.com/03r0s5yGPX
— Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) March 31, 2025
The senator’s floor speech isn’t technically a filibuster, since he’s not delaying any specific legislation or nomination. Instead, it’s a protest — a symbolic yet potent gesture underscoring his belief that the U.S. Senate cannot operate as though this is business as usual.
“In just 71 days, the president has inflicted harm after harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, the foundations of our democracy, and any sense of common decency,” Booker said in his opening remarks. “These are not normal times in our nation. And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate.”
Booker’s speech touched on a range of topics: healthcare, immigration, the economy, education, foreign policy, and threats to Social Security. He read letters from constituents affected by recent federal policies and cited the words of global leaders calling for the U.S. to uphold democratic values. His sharpest rebukes were aimed squarely at President Donald Trump and White House senior adviser Elon Musk, accusing them of “complete disregard for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the needs of the American people.”
Neither Trump nor Musk had responded publicly to Booker’s speech as of Tuesday morning.
While Booker hasn’t declared this an official filibuster, his speech relies on similar Senate rules — namely, that unless debate time is limited, a senator recognized by the presiding officer can speak for as long as they wish, so long as they remain standing and continue speaking.
To stay within those boundaries, Booker has employed some time-tested strategies. According to Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Booker had a Senate page remove his chair to avoid the temptation of sitting down. When needing a brief reprieve, he has yielded the floor for questions from fellow senators — the only way to pause without forfeiting control of the floor.
Among those who have joined Booker during his overnight protest are Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Sen. Raphael Warnock (GA), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN), Sen. Peter Welch (VT), Sen. Andy Kim (NJ), Sen. Chris Murphy (CT), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Sen. Chris Coons (NH). Each took turns lending support while highlighting their own concerns with the current political climate.
