Cory Booker’s 21-hour Senate speech criticizing Trump marks fourth longest in history

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey made a historic statement on the Senate floor since Monday night, delivering a 21-hour speech that continued well into Tuesday afternoon. Although not the longest speech in Senate history, Booker’s marathon address ranks as the fourth-longest and drew attention for its passionate critique of President Trump’s policies.

Booker, vowed to speak for as long as he could physically manage. And 21 hours later, while physically exhausted, the 55-year-old senator is still going.

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Why Cory Booker took the Senate floor?

This move was a direct response to Donald Trump’s policies, especially cutting safety nets and the growing influence of people outside the government like Donald Trump.

“These are not normal times in our nation,”  Senator Booker said at the beginning of his speech. He emphasized that both American democracy and its people are under threat, and it's imperative to stand up against it.

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Cory Booker’s 21-hour speech

While Booker’s 21-hour speech is not the longest in Senate history, it still ranks as the fourth-longest individual speech. However, Booker's speech, unlike Senator Ted Cruz’s 21-hour and 19-minute speech in 2013, is not a filibuster aimed to block a specific bill.

Booker remained steadfast throughout the night, despite having nothing more than a couple glasses of water to sustain him, and only paused to answer to his fellow Democrats questions.

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Who has the longest speech record in the Senate?

The record for the longest individual speech still belongs to Senator Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957 against the Civil Rights Act.