TRENTON, N.J. — On Monday night, Senator Cory Booker took the Senate floor, gripping the podium in a fervent critique of President Donald Trump’s policies. The New Jersey Democrat, who previously ran for president in 2020, spent the session voicing his increasingly pointed concerns about Trump’s administration. As Democrats hold a minority position in both the Senate and the House, Booker’s extended speech represented one of the few avenues available to challenge the Republican majority.
Booker’s monologue — occasionally interrupted by Democratic peers who posed questions, allowing him brief respites — touched on a broad spectrum of Trump-related issues. He expressed strong dissatisfaction with ideas such as annexing territories like Greenland and Canada, rolling back social programs, and implementing tax cuts. While it is uncertain how effective his speech will be, it underscores a critical strategy for minority parties seeking to influence the legislative process.
**Introduction to Cory Booker**
Cory Booker, 55, originally hails from Washington, D.C., but relocated to northern New Jersey during his childhood. He frequently discusses his upbringing in a Black family within a predominantly white neighborhood, where his parents encountered obstacles in purchasing a home. Booker excelled in football at Stanford University before pursuing law at Yale. Following his education, he worked as an attorney offering legal assistance to underprivileged families.
He served on the Newark City Council before becoming mayor of New Jersey’s largest city, overseeing initiatives like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million donation to Newark’s public schools — a project that enhanced his reputation as a promising Democratic leader. In 2013, Booker secured a U.S. Senate seat through a special election following Frank Lautenberg’s death, later winning a full term in 2014 and re-election in 2020. Despite his spirited 2020 presidential run, Booker ultimately withdrew from the crowded Democratic race.
**Contentious Senate Speech**
Booker’s Senate address began on Monday evening and extended through to Tuesday morning. His voice, at times quivering with intensity, softened as he read aloud letters from constituents and alluded to literary figures such as Langston Hughes to bolster his points. He highlighted concerns over Republican budget plans that he argued would disproportionately affect healthcare access for Americans to benefit the wealthy, all while exacerbating national deficits.
He criticized the Trump administration’s foreign policy direction, questioning proposals to annex Greenland and Canada while straining relationships with key allies. Booker passionately argued for national unity, lamenting that while the U.S. is “a nation of incredible vision,” internal discord has marred its potential global standing.
Booker further targeted Elon Musk, voicing disapproval of Musk’s role in advising Trump within the Department of Government Efficiency. He opposed the extension of tax cuts that favored affluent individuals like Musk, sharing his personal perspective: “I wish he would say the truth — I don’t need a tax cut.”
**Booker’s Legislative Impact**
Throughout his tenure in Congress, Booker has played significant roles in legislative initiatives. In 2018, he supported a bipartisan push to reform federal sentencing laws — a movement aided by alliances with Black ministers and leaders, even amidst accusations of racism against Trump. The reforms aimed to free hundreds of Black and Latino prisoners through revised legal pathways.
Among his legislative achievements is a 2019 bill allowing states to reallocate funds from clean water revolving funds to address public drinking water needs. Additionally, Booker chairs the Democratic Strategic Communications Committee and prominently features his efforts to defend the Affordable Care Act from repeal in his Senate biography.