Cara Brown McCormick
Washington, DC — Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey made history with a marathon speech on the Senate floor, surpassing 24 hours in a sweeping protest against the policies of President Donald Trump.
Beginning at 7 pm on March 31, 2025, Sen. Booker’s address continued through the night and into the evening of April 1, making it the longest speech ever delivered in the US Senate.
“These are not normal times in our nation,” Sen. Booker said as he launched into his speech.
“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.”
Although not technically a filibuster, Sen. Booker’s extended remarks served as a protest and warning, rallying fellow Senate Democrats who supported his efforts by asking questions intermittently—an established tactic used to give the speaker brief breaks without yielding the floor.
Sen. Booker mentioned Elon Musk repeatedly during the 24 hours.
“Elon Musk called it (Social Security) a Ponzi scheme. The richest man in the world, and the most powerful man in the world, himself a billionaire, are attacking the programs that millions and millions of our citizens rely on,” said Booker.
Sen. Booker sought to downplay partisanship.
“I keep saying over and over --- America, this is not right or left. It's right or wrong. It's not a partisan moment. It's an American moment. It's a moral moment.”
Sen. Booker continued:
“What is it going to take for us to say ‘no’ with such a firm voice, such a chorus of conviction – thousands, hundreds of thousands of Americans -- red, white and blue, every state saying, do not do this for no good reason but to give the majority of your tax cuts to billionaires like Elon Musk. It makes no sense.”
Sen. Booker's speech now ranks as the longest solo speech in Senate history, breaking Sen. Strom Thurmond’s infamous 24-hour, 18-minute filibuster of the Civil Rights Act in 1957.
Here is the video that Sen. Booker posted before he took the floor.
As of Tuesday evening, Sen. Booker remained on the Senate floor, continuing his speech and reinforcing his stance against what he called a “dangerous drift away from American values.”
His remarks about wealth, power, and political influence came as Wisconsinites went to the polls in the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history—fueled by unprecedented Super PAC spending, much of it linked to Musk.
According to Buying Time 2025, as of April 1, 2025, more than $98 million has been spent on the race between Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel.