Senator Cory Booker Breaks Historic 24-Hour Filibuster Record, Defying Limits to Challenge Trump’s Agenda
Senator Cory Booker, who previously ran for president in 2020, made history by delivering a non-stop speech lasting over 24 hours on the Senate floor, with hardly any breaks. Starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 31, Booker launched into a passionate, unyielding critique of President Donald Trump and his administration. By 7:20 p.m. the following evening, Tuesday, April 1, he was still speaking, his words echoing through the Senate Chamber.
As he entered the 15th hour of his speech at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Booker, pacing the floor, boldly declared, “I’ve got fuel in the tank, man,” a testament to his unbreakable resolve. His relentless filibuster broke the previous Senate record set by Democrat Strom Thurmond in 1957, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes. Booker, however, set a new milestone—pushing past the 24-hour mark without even stepping away for a bathroom break.
Opening his speech with a firm declaration, Booker said, “I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able.” As New Jersey’s first Black senator, Booker dedicated the 19th minute and the 24th hour of his speech to honoring the late civil rights leader John Lewis.
Emotion overwhelmed Booker as he realized he had surpassed Thurmond’s record. Raising his eyes to the ceiling and placing his hand over his heart, he was visibly moved. His fellow Democrats in the chamber erupted in applause for his extraordinary effort.
At 55 years old, Booker showed no signs of slowing down. He acknowledged the physical toll of his historic filibuster but continued to power through, remarking, “I want to go a little bit past this and then I’m going to deal with some of the biological emergencies I’m feeling.” He reflected on the significance of the moment, saying, “I don’t know what John Lewis would say right now… but John Lewis would say something, he would do something. He wouldn’t treat this moral moment like it was normal.”
Booker, framing his speech as ‘America’s moral moment,’ took aim at what he saw as the Trump administration’s utter disregard for the Constitution, the rule of law, and the needs of the American people. He passionately stated, “I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis… so many of the people reaching out to my office in pain, in fear… identify themselves as Republicans.”
The senator also called out figures like Elon Musk and criticized what he described as Trump’s “oligarchy.” He concluded, “This is the people’s house. It’s Article One of the Constitution, and it’s under assault!”
At one point, more than 60,000 viewers tuned in to watch Booker’s historic filibuster live on TikTok, highlighting the widespread attention his defiant stand was generating.
In an unprecedented act of endurance, Booker not only shattered a record but also delivered a profound, impassioned message about the state of America under Trump’s leadership—one that will resonate for years to come.