Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), a failed presidential candidate famous for his “Spartacus” moment, has been speaking for more than 18 hours on the Senate floor to criticize President Donald Trump’s policies.
The marathon speech began on Monday evening and continued well into the morning on Tuesday. At times, other Democrats gave Booker a small reprieve when they asked him questions.
Live from the Senate floor. https://t.co/ZQaixCC8AF
— Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) April 1, 2025
When he began his remarks at about 7 p.m. ET, Booker declared that he rose “with the intention” of “getting in some good trouble” and “disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able” because he feared the country was in “crisis.”
The stunt comes as Democrats face low approval ratings and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) grapples with a crisis of confidence after he refused to vote in favor of blocking a GOP-backed stopgap bill to avert a partial government shutdown.
It got rough for Booker at times. Just before 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, the senator nearly cut short his remarks.
“Dear God, my friend, I yield the floor for a question while retaining the floor,” Booker said to Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE). “I — excuse me. I want to say that correctly. I yield for a question while retaining the floor. I do not yield the floor!”
In hour 14, a wild-eyed Cory Booker is getting confused:
“I yield the floor…while retaining the floor.” https://t.co/dutRa8Yduy pic.twitter.com/G0Em4WQcyM
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) April 1, 2025
Republicans took swipes at Booker as he spoke.
“Is anyone listening?” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) asked on X after Booker hit 13 hours.
“Cory Booker is posing this fake filibuster because Left wing lunatics [Michigan Democrat Governor] Gretchen Whitmer and [Connecticut Democrat Sen.] Chris Murphy are coming to DC stealing his thunder,” said Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). “That’s all that’s happening.”
Democrats have been calling the speech a “filibuster,” but The New York Times reported Booker’s speech was not one because it did not come during a debate on a bill or nominee.
After pausing for the Senate prayer at noon, Booker kept on going.
Booker briefly suspended his marathon Senate floor remarks, which began at Monday at 7pm ET, for the opening prayer at Noon required under the rules when the Senate has been in continuous session. https://t.co/TfcNz2Gsl4 pic.twitter.com/GFNegZsWbL
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) April 1, 2025
Booker has already delivered one of the longest Senate floor speeches in United States history, but he still trailed a handful of senators at 18 hours.
Here’s a list of the longest floor speeches in Senate history. Booker has been going for almost 15 hours. pic.twitter.com/GG4LrkqTUs
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 1, 2025
One who is still in Congress, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), spoke for 21 hours and 19 minutes protesting Obamacare in 2013. The late Strom Thurmond from South Carolina holds the record at 24 hours and 18 minutes with a filibuster against the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
