Sen. Cory Booker‘s (D-N.J.) marathon speech on the Senate floor won the floundering Democratic Party something it has desperately needed in the Trump era: attention and the applause of its base.
The big picture: Top Democrats believe they are in their deepest hole in nearly 50 years after losing the White House, Senate and House, and the party’s base has grown impatient with leaders who haven’t countered President Trump more aggressively.
- Booker said his speech highlights the “recklessness” of the Trump administration, which has plowed ahead with efforts to radically reshape the federal government and its workforce.
By the numbers: As of 5:00pm ET Tuesday, his livestream had more than 73,000 views.
- The AP’s stream of the speech had more than 77,000 views, and another on X had more than 576,000.
- Google searches for Booker spiked 1,000% — to more than half a million queries — since his speech began Monday night.
Between the lines: For a party that’s been struggling with approval ratings and direction, Booker’s more than 21-hour speech could be a turning point.
- After months of people begging Democratic leaders to step up against Trump’s agenda, Booker’s grand gesture — which appears to have support from a wide swath of Democrats — could impact public sentiment.
- Booker’s stemwinder was the rare incidence of Democrats stealing the spotlight from Trump, who has commanded nearly every news cycle since returning to office.
Zoom in: Booker said in a social media video posted before he took the floor at 7pm ET Monday that he’s heard calls from across the nation for lawmakers to “do more” to “recognize the urgency, the crisis of the moment.”
- The former presidential candidate said “we all have a responsibility, I believe, to do something different, to cause, as John Lewis said, good trouble.”
Go deeper: Cory Booker’s marathon speech ranks among the Senate’s longest
