A 25-hour Senate speech, and Democrats' fury against Trump A Star is Born?

The obvious and the incredible happened in the U.S. Senate. Obvious, because similar events have occurred before—more than once. Incredible, because a record was broken. This refers to the speech by Democratic Senator from New Jersey, Cory Booker, delivered from March 31 to April 1, which lasted 25 hours and 5 minutes—the longest speech in Senate history.

Before this, the record belonged to Senator Strom Thurmond from South Carolina, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957 in an attempt to block the passage of the Civil Rights Act. However, Booker was quick to distance himself from comparisons with Thurmond, emphasizing that he was speaking "in opposition" to the stance of the previous record-holder.

Moreover, Booker's speech was not intended to block a specific bill but was conceived as a symbolic protest. Against what? The answer is obvious—against Donald Trump’s policies, which have become a major thorn in the side of the Democrats. Booker's speech was a direct critique of Trump’s policies and a call for his own party to take a tougher stance against the sitting president.

It is worth noting that Democratic voters are increasingly demanding the same. According to the latest poll by SSRS research organisation, 57% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents want the party to take a more aggressive stance against Republicans, while 42% favor seeking compromises with their opponents.

"In just 71 days, the President of the United States has done immense damage to American security, financial stability, and the very foundations of our democracy," Booker said. "These are abnormal times for America. And they should not be treated as normal in the United States Senate."

During his speech, Booker urged Democrats to show resolve in the face of serious threats to American democracy. In particular, he criticized cuts to social welfare programs implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the leadership of Elon Musk. He also expressed concern over Trump’s intentions regarding territorial claims on Greenland and Canada.

Booker and his team prepared a total of 1,164 pages of material ahead of the speech, covering a wide range of topics. Several Democratic senators, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, took turns supporting Booker on the Senate floor.

Republican Ted Cruz, whose speech in 2013 lasted 21 hours, offered Booker some advice: "Wear comfortable shoes and don’t drink water." Booker admitted that he stopped eating and deliberately dehydrated himself in the days leading up to the speech, which led to cramps and muscle spasms during his marathon address. His Democratic colleagues helped him endure the ordeal by asking questions, allowing him brief moments of respite.

Booker never yielded the floor for a break, as doing so would have allowed the presiding officer to resume Senate proceedings. The only exceptions were a brief prayer at noon on Tuesday and responses to questions from his Democratic colleagues. According to media reports, Booker had nothing with him except a Bible.

It seems, intentionally or not, that the Democrats are not averse to challenging the Republicans' monopoly on religiosity. In fact, Booker's speech strongly resembled those of Black Protestant pastors—complete with eye-rolling and a voice trembling at the “powerful” moments. However, Booker still lacks the mastery of such oratory, and his attempts at vocal embellishments came off as unconvincing.

It’s still unclear whether Booker’s speech made an impact on voters or contributed to a decline in Trump’s approval ratings. We will likely find out soon through various polls. However, it is important to note that Booker’s speech was, first and foremost, an attempt to shake up the Democratic Party, which, according to many commentators, is facing serious internal challenges, including a crisis in leadership and ideas. These crises are, to a large extent, tied to the ambiguous legacy of the previous president, Joe Biden, which continues to erode support for the party among voters.

Cory Booker has been a senator since 2013. He is the first Black American to represent New Jersey in the Senate and one of five African Americans in the current Senate.

Now, one can imagine that the Democratic senators who went without sleep during Booker's marathon speech are hoping that the sleep deprivation wasn’t in vain. Has a new star emerged for the Democrats? Will Cory Booker become a leader of the Democratic Party, ready to vie for the presidency? Is speaking for a full day enough to establish such a path? And most importantly, is he prepared to act as effectively as he speaks?