New Jersey Senator Cory Booker lit up the Senate floor Monday night with a rare marathon speech protesting President Donald Trump’s second-term policies—especially job cuts, healthcare rollbacks, and rising costs. He began at 7:00 PM ET (3:00 AM +04 Tuesday) and, as of 1:00 PM +04 (5:00 AM ET Tuesday), was still standing, reading letters, quoting history, and refusing to yield. It’s not a filibuster, but it’s one of the loudest political stands Democrats have taken this year.
“I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis,” Booker declared, opening his speech with a calm voice and a fiery mission. Wearing a dark suit and his signature American flag pin, he pointed directly at Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—run by Elon Musk—for slashing thousands of federal jobs and shutting down key agencies. He also railed against new tariffs he says are spiking prices for steel, cars, and everyday goods.
Booker’s been reading letters from New Jersey constituents, sharing personal stories of layoffs and lost health coverage. Around midnight ET, his voice rose with emotion as he invoked the late Senator John McCain, calling on Republicans to find their conscience. “I know you wouldn’t sanction this, John McCain,” he shouted. “I’ve seen you tear people apart on this floor for doing dumb things over and over.”
He’s not alone. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester prayed with him before he began, asking for strength. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stopped by to thank him for speaking up. “You’re showing how bad this hurts people,” Schumer told him on the floor. Other Democrats have helped keep him going by asking questions—brief breaks that let him pause without losing control of the floor.
It’s not about blocking a vote—the chamber wrapped voting Monday—but rather making noise at a moment of urgency. Booker joins a long line of senators using the floor as a pulpit: Ted Cruz went 21 hours in 2013 against Obamacare, and Booker himself stood with Chris Murphy for 15 hours in 2016 on gun control. The all-time record is Strom Thurmond’s 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957. Booker hasn’t hit that yet—but he’s past the 10-hour mark and showing no signs of quitting.
So why now? Because many Democrats, and their base, believe Trump’s second term is moving too fast and too far, and they want visible resistance. Booker’s message: silence is complicity. Booker’s not worried—he’s using every second to speak for people he says are being ignored.