Farewell to Thurmond's Record: Cory Booker Delivers 25-Hour Senate Speech, Surpassing Strom
The New Jersey Democrat has been speaking continuously since Monday night to express dissent against President Donald Trump.
TroibNews 
Cory Booker made history on Tuesday by setting a record for the longest speech in Senate history, speaking for over 25 hours and eclipsing the late Senator Strom Thurmond’s 1957 filibuster against civil rights.
The New Jersey Democrat began his speech at 6:59 p.m. on Monday, declaring his goal was to “disrupt the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able” in protest of President Donald Trump and his administration's actions.
By 7:18 p.m. on Tuesday, Booker had exceeded Thurmond’s 24-hour and 18-minute filibuster, according to Senate historians. Booker concluded his speech at 8:05 p.m., adding an extra 48 minutes to the record.
“Maybe my ego got caught up that maybe, maybe, just maybe, I could break this record of the man who tried to stop the rights upon which I stand,” Booker said. “I’m not here, though, because of his speech; I’m here despite his speech.”
Before embarking on his marathon oration, Booker did not indicate he intended to break the record. He had mentioned hoping to replicate the 15 hours he and Senator Chris Murphy spent on the floor in 2016 discussing gun violence.
As the hours wore on Tuesday, and Booker showed no signs of fatigue, his colleagues began to speculate whether Thurmond's long-standing record would fall. “We hope and believe he will break the record. He's close to it now,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that afternoon.
Since joining the Senate in 2013, Booker was joined on the floor at various times during his speech by numerous Democratic colleagues, who engaged in discussions with him—a strategy that allowed him to rest his voice without losing control of the floor. He remained in the Senate chamber throughout.
Murphy accompanied Booker as he neared Thurmond’s record, emphasizing the stark contrast between Booker’s speech and that of the South Carolina segregationist. “What you have done here today, Senator Booker, couldn’t be more different than what occurred on this floor in 1957,” Murphy remarked, referencing Thurmond’s failed attempt to block civil rights legislation. Booker is among five Black senators currently serving.
Schumer commended Booker when he briefly joined him on the Senate floor: “Your strength, your fortitude, your clarity has been nothing short of amazing.”
Throughout his speech, tens of thousands of viewers tuned in on social media, indicating that Booker had managed to channel the frustration many Democrats felt following the GOP's electoral victories last year and the tumultuous first months of Trump’s second term. “All of America is paying attention to what you're saying,” Schumer noted, facing criticism for advancing a GOP funding bill last month. “The disastrous actions of this administration—in terms of how they're helping only the billionaires and hurting average families—you have brought that forth with such clarity.”
A former mayor of Newark, Booker has long sought a more prominent role in national Democratic politics. He launched a presidential campaign in 2019 but failed to gain traction and withdrew weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Currently serving as the junior senator and strategic communications chair, he is viewed by colleagues as a potential leader in the party.
Alongside Schumer and Murphy, Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and Dick Durbin of Illinois also supported Booker on the floor. Members of the House, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and members of the Congressional Black Caucus, were observed entering the Senate chamber to watch parts of Booker’s speech.
At the start of his lengthy address, Booker had two glasses of water at his desk, which he occasionally sipped, as well as a thick binder of notes that he referenced intermittently. After setting the record, he humorously mentioned needing to stop speaking to “go deal with some of the biological urgencies I'm feeling.”
After concluding his speech, Booker explained to reporters that he aimed to become dehydrated leading up to it to avoid frequent restroom breaks. He had stopped eating on Friday and also ceased drinking on Sunday night. “I fasted for days into it... I think that had good and bad benefits,” he reflected. “I definitely started cramping up from lack of water.”
Throughout his address, Booker discussed a variety of Trump administration policies and GOP legislative proposals, covering topics such as Trump’s tariff plans, the efforts led by Elon Musk to reduce federal bureaucracy, and impending Medicaid cuts tied to a House GOP budget proposal.
“The vote to pass this dangerous blueprint did not come easily and we will make sure that lawmakers know that enacting these cuts would be to abandon older Americans,” he stated regarding Medicaid.
Additionally, Booker addressed Trump’s foreign policy, including his amicable stance towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticism of NATO, while also citing support for the trans-Atlantic alliance from GOP senators.
Once Booker relinquished the floor, the Senate proceeded to vote on the confirmation of Matthew Whitaker as U.S. ambassador to NATO. His speech delayed that vote, as well as an anticipated vote on a Democratic measure to counter some of Trump's proposed tariffs.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
The New Jersey Democrat began his speech at 6:59 p.m. on Monday, declaring his goal was to “disrupt the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able” in protest of President Donald Trump and his administration's actions.
By 7:18 p.m. on Tuesday, Booker had exceeded Thurmond’s 24-hour and 18-minute filibuster, according to Senate historians. Booker concluded his speech at 8:05 p.m., adding an extra 48 minutes to the record.
“Maybe my ego got caught up that maybe, maybe, just maybe, I could break this record of the man who tried to stop the rights upon which I stand,” Booker said. “I’m not here, though, because of his speech; I’m here despite his speech.”
Before embarking on his marathon oration, Booker did not indicate he intended to break the record. He had mentioned hoping to replicate the 15 hours he and Senator Chris Murphy spent on the floor in 2016 discussing gun violence.
As the hours wore on Tuesday, and Booker showed no signs of fatigue, his colleagues began to speculate whether Thurmond's long-standing record would fall. “We hope and believe he will break the record. He's close to it now,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that afternoon.
Since joining the Senate in 2013, Booker was joined on the floor at various times during his speech by numerous Democratic colleagues, who engaged in discussions with him—a strategy that allowed him to rest his voice without losing control of the floor. He remained in the Senate chamber throughout.
Murphy accompanied Booker as he neared Thurmond’s record, emphasizing the stark contrast between Booker’s speech and that of the South Carolina segregationist. “What you have done here today, Senator Booker, couldn’t be more different than what occurred on this floor in 1957,” Murphy remarked, referencing Thurmond’s failed attempt to block civil rights legislation. Booker is among five Black senators currently serving.
Schumer commended Booker when he briefly joined him on the Senate floor: “Your strength, your fortitude, your clarity has been nothing short of amazing.”
Throughout his speech, tens of thousands of viewers tuned in on social media, indicating that Booker had managed to channel the frustration many Democrats felt following the GOP's electoral victories last year and the tumultuous first months of Trump’s second term. “All of America is paying attention to what you're saying,” Schumer noted, facing criticism for advancing a GOP funding bill last month. “The disastrous actions of this administration—in terms of how they're helping only the billionaires and hurting average families—you have brought that forth with such clarity.”
A former mayor of Newark, Booker has long sought a more prominent role in national Democratic politics. He launched a presidential campaign in 2019 but failed to gain traction and withdrew weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Currently serving as the junior senator and strategic communications chair, he is viewed by colleagues as a potential leader in the party.
Alongside Schumer and Murphy, Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and Dick Durbin of Illinois also supported Booker on the floor. Members of the House, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and members of the Congressional Black Caucus, were observed entering the Senate chamber to watch parts of Booker’s speech.
At the start of his lengthy address, Booker had two glasses of water at his desk, which he occasionally sipped, as well as a thick binder of notes that he referenced intermittently. After setting the record, he humorously mentioned needing to stop speaking to “go deal with some of the biological urgencies I'm feeling.”
After concluding his speech, Booker explained to reporters that he aimed to become dehydrated leading up to it to avoid frequent restroom breaks. He had stopped eating on Friday and also ceased drinking on Sunday night. “I fasted for days into it... I think that had good and bad benefits,” he reflected. “I definitely started cramping up from lack of water.”
Throughout his address, Booker discussed a variety of Trump administration policies and GOP legislative proposals, covering topics such as Trump’s tariff plans, the efforts led by Elon Musk to reduce federal bureaucracy, and impending Medicaid cuts tied to a House GOP budget proposal.
“The vote to pass this dangerous blueprint did not come easily and we will make sure that lawmakers know that enacting these cuts would be to abandon older Americans,” he stated regarding Medicaid.
Additionally, Booker addressed Trump’s foreign policy, including his amicable stance towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticism of NATO, while also citing support for the trans-Atlantic alliance from GOP senators.
Once Booker relinquished the floor, the Senate proceeded to vote on the confirmation of Matthew Whitaker as U.S. ambassador to NATO. His speech delayed that vote, as well as an anticipated vote on a Democratic measure to counter some of Trump's proposed tariffs.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
