Cory Booker Bashes Trump, Musk For 24+ Hours On Senate Floor (UPDATED)

NEW JERSEY — U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey now holds the record for the longest speech ever given on the Senate floor.

Booker began his monologue Monday evening with plans to blast the Trump Administration for its “reckless actions, attempts to undermine our institutions and disregard for the rule of law.” The 55-year-old senator was still railing against Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Tuesday night.

Booker’s speech technically wasn't a filibuster, a political tactic that aims to delay or prevent a vote on a particular bill or other official action. U.S. senators are allowed to speak without time limits. However, before starting his speech, Booker pledged that he would keep it up as long as he was physically capable – all with the goal of “disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate.”

Booker's speech, which lasted more than a day, was the longest in Senate history. The previous record-holder? A filibuster from former South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond, which went on for 24 hours and 18 minutes.

“In just 71 days, [President Trump] has inflicted harm after harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, the foundations of our democracy, and any sense of common decency,” Booker charged.

“These are not normal times in our nation,” Booker urged. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent and we all must do more to stand against them.”

Watch footage from Booker’s speech here.

New Jersey has seen ongoing protests against the Trump Administration since the president was inaugurated for his second term in January. The state has also seen shows of support for Trump, who managed to flip five counties from blue to red in the 2024 election.

Some Garden State residents have cheered for Trump, Musk and the ongoing federal budget cuts that are being done under DOGE. Others – including Booker – have warned that the cuts will have a serious impact throughout the state.

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Booker got a thumbs-up from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who thanked the senator for his "commitment to protecting the values our country was built on."

Others weren't so impressed.

"While Americans are out here struggling to pay bills, keep their jobs, and navigate a world that doesn’t stop for your theatrics, Booker is wasting everyone’s time with a 13-hour tantrum on the Senate floor," a social media user commented midway through the senator's speech.

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WHAT DID THE SENATOR SAY?

Here are some of the topics that Sen. Booker covered during his marathon Senate speech.

HEALTH CARE – Booker accused the Trump administration of attempting to slash Medicaid, defund critical medical research, and increase health care costs for Americans (watch video footage here). During the first Cabinet meeting of his new term, Trump said there are no plans to touch Medicaid, Social Security or Medicare benefits: which he has repeated “over and over again,” according to White House spokespeople. However, many political experts have questioned the accuracy of this claim.

SOCIAL SECURITY – Booker blasted the administration’s “efforts to lay off thousands of Social Security employees, strip benefits from millions of Americans, and dismantle a critical program that has served Americans for nearly a century.” According to the senator, 73 million Americans and 1.6 million people in New Jersey rely on Social Security benefits – benefits earned through a “lifetime of work and paying into the program.” Watch video footage here.

EDUCATION – Booker criticized the Trump administration’s recent steps to dismantle the Department of Education, which he said would cut critical funding for teachers. Watch video footage here.

IMMIGRATION – Booker attacked the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, calling it “dangerous” and anti-constitutional, and saying that it will not solve the problems at the southern border of the U.S. Watch video footage here.

NATIONAL SECURITY – Booker accused Trump of pushing national security policies that are “leaving our allies abandoned, our adversaries emboldened, and Americans less safe.” He specifically pointed his finger at the administration for “unlawfully dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), terminating foreign aid programs that save lives and benefit American businesses, and increasingly distancing the U.S. from our neighbors and partners while ceding ground to Russia and China.” Watch video footage here.

FARMERS - Booker accused Trump and Musk of creating “chaos” in rural America and among U.S. farmers through their “failure to honor existing USDA contracts” and the “cutting of programs that provided locally grown, nutritious food to schools and food banks.” Watch video footage here.

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