One of the Democrats' leading senators, Cory Booker from New Jersey, is not satisfied with the resistance the Trump administration is meeting from the opposition.
I rise tonight because I seriously believe that our country is in crisis, he said as an introduction when he stepped up to the podium on Monday evening local time (night to Tuesday Swedish time).
Then he continued with his criticism. And continued. And continued. It wasn't until after more than 25 hours that he was finished, and he had then held the longest speech in Senate history.
The way to hold a speech indefinitely is in principle allowed in the US Senate – but it is demanding. The speaker is not allowed to sit down, nor go to the bathroom, otherwise it is free to hold their speech as long as they want.
And that's what the 55-year-old Booker wanted.
In 71 days, the President of the United States has damaged Americans' security, economic stability, and the fundamental foundations of our democracy, said Booker, sometime during the first ten hours he stood at the podium.
Filibuster
Speeches in the US Senate usually have a few followers. But Booker's speech was followed on Tuesday evening by tens of thousands via Congress's YouTube channel and his own account on X.
But Booker also wove his attacks on the Trump administration with reciting poetry, commenting on sports events, and chatting with chamber members.
I want to thank you for holding this vigil for our country tonight, said Senator Raphael Warnock from his seat in the chamber.
The technique of holding one's speech as long as one wants – and can – is called filibustering. In this way, a member can block a vote from being held on a particular issue until one of Congress's set time limits expires.
Will not give up resistance
The technique is not used often, but it has been used. The previous record was held by Senator Strom Thurmond, who in 1957 turned against a bill proposing to give blacks the right to vote. Thurmond spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes.
No bill was pending when Booker stepped up to the podium, so his marathon speech is not a formal filibuster.
But the desire to break Thurmond's record was about something else, according to Booker: not giving up resistance to Trump's policy.
When Booker concluded his speech on Wednesday night, he had spoken for 25 hours and five minutes.
