Cory Booker breaks a 68-year-old Senate record with a 25-hour speech

Senator Cory Booker made history this week by delivering a 25-hour, 4-minute speech on the Senate floor, breaking a 68-year-old record previously held by segregationist Strom Thurmond. Booker’s marathon speech targeted the Trump administration’s immigration, economic, and education policies, which he called harmful to everyday Americans and democracy itself. The speech began Monday evening and ended just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, with Booker emotionally finishing with a tribute to civil rights icon John Lewis: “Let’s get in good trouble.”

The address wasn’t a filibuster, but a symbolic protest backed by fellow Democrats who took turns asking questions to allow Booker breaks without surrendering the floor. He fasted for days, avoided water, and employed strategic tactics to endure the physical demands of standing for more than 25 hours. The speech drew over 350 million likes on TikTok and more than 115,000 live YouTube viewers, reflecting wide public engagement.

Booker said he had long felt it was wrong that a speech meant to block civil rights held the record and felt compelled to challenge it during what he described as a perilous time for the country.

Source: NPR