U.S. Senator Cory Booker smashes record with 25-hour anti-Trump speech

Senator Cory Booker breaks Senate speech record with fiery protest against President Trump's actions in marathon 25-hour speech.

A Democratic U.S. lawmaker shattered a record for the longest speech in Senate history, staying on his feet for more than 25 hours to deliver a fiery protest against President Donald Trump's "unconstitutional" actions.

Senator Cory Booker's display of endurance — to hold the floor he had to remain standing and could not even go to the bathroom — recalled the famous scene in Frank Capra's 1939 film classic "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

The longest Senate speech on record before Tuesday (April 1, 2025) was delivered by South Carolina's Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Mr. Booker, only the fourth Black senator to be popularly elected to the body, blew past that deadline Tuesday (April 1, 2025), his voice still strong but emotional as he topped out at 25 hours and five minutes.

"This is a moral moment. It's not left or right. It's right or wrong," he said as he wrapped up before finally pronouncing "Madam President, I yield the floor."

The 55-year-old New Jersey native had found a moment for some humour as he passed the record, joking: "I want to go a little bit past this and then I'm going to deal with some of the biological urgencies I'm feeling."

Although Mr. Booker's talk-a-thon was not actually blocking the majority Republican Party from holding votes in the Senate, as would be the case in a true filibuster, his defiance quickly became a rallying point for beleaguered Democrats.