Failed presidential candidate Cory Booker made a bid for the history books with a marathon speech denouncing President Trump on the Senate floor.
The New Jersey Democrat's remarks set a new record, eclipsing the one set by Strom Thurmond of South Carolina almost 70 years ago.
Booker began speaking at 7 p.m. ET on Monday and went on for 25 hours and five minutes, eclipsing the historic filibuster delivered by Thurmond, then a southern Democrat, against the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
While Booker's speech resembled a filibuster, it technically wasn't one because he was not blocking a piece of legislation. It was instead a cry of protest from liberal America after months of shambolic opposition to President Trump's second-term agenda.
“These are not normal times in our nation,” Booker said as he began the speech Monday evening. “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.”
The speech was dismissed by some as the latest example of Booker's tendency to engage in theatrics. During Trump's first term, Booker faced mockery for likening himself to Kirk Douglas in Spartacus while opposing Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination.
This time, Booker was channeling Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as the Democratic senator talked - and talked - and talked about Trump and his supposed threat to democracy.
At moments in the speech, Booker got small breaks from his fellow Democratic senators, who asked him questions.
Booker couched his dramatic remarks in civil rights rhetoric, invoking the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. He made a direct link between his speech and the efforts of the segregationist Thurmond to block civil rights legislation with a filibuster that went on for 24 hours and 18 minutes.
Finally, Booker ended his speech with some scatological humor.
“Do I look that bad? Alright, 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," he said.
After months of wandering the political wilderness, Democrats hailed Booker's speech as an invigorating jolt. Some have even predicted that Booker, who failed to make a splash in the 2020 presidential cycle, has positioned himself at the head of the pack for the 2028 Democratic primaries.
There is a broad consensus that Democrats have lost touch with the cultural mainstream, and the party is bereft of clear leadership, presenting an ambitious politician like Booker with an opportunity.
Has Booker's "Spartacus" moment arrived at last? While Americans might respect Booker's stamina, it's going to take more than some symbolism and feel-good speeches to get Democrats out of the jam they're in.
Ultimately, the public respects action over rhetoric, which may help explain why Trump is more popular than Democrats. Even his critics would have to admit that he is getting things done, even if they do not like what that entails.
