Sen. Booker's 25-hour speech beats Thurmond
He spoke for the longest time in recorded Senate history, protesting the Trump administration's policies
What happened
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) Tuesday night completed the longest speech in recorded Senate history, speaking for 25 hours and 5 minutes to protest President Donald Trump's hardline policies and aggressive cuts. Colleagues and supporters in the Senate chamber cheered when Booker toppled the previous record — 24 hours, 18 minutes — set by segregationist Sen. Strom Thurmond (D-S.C.) in his filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Who said what
Booker took to the floor at 7 p.m. Monday, saying he would speak "for as long as I am physically able." For the next day, he did not eat, sit or go to the bathroom, per Senate rules. "These are not normal times in our nation," Booker said. "And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate."
Booker's speech wasn't a filibuster, since it did not hold up specific legislation, but his "remarkable show of stamina" cheered Democrats "frustrated" at their party's lack of aggressive stands against Trump's agenda, The Associated Press said. More than a million people watched parts of Booker's speech online, and over 350 million people liked it on TikTok live.
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What next?
Booker's "marathon speech ended with applause but not with action," USA Today said. The "attention and applause of its base" were things Democrats "desperately needed in the Trump era," Axios said. For a party in a hole, "Booker's stemwinder" could prove a "turning point."
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