New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker made headlines Monday when he rambled on non-stop in a 23-hour speech in some sort of weird anti-Trump resistance move. It wasn’t even technically a filibuster—you know, that legislative tool the Democrats call racist when it blocks their agenda but then suddenly love when it suits their purposes—because there was no bill being voted on. Filibusters have a point, which is for lawmakers to delay or stop the passage of legislation they don’t like.
Since there was nothing at play here, it’s hard to fathom what Booker wanted to achieve with this snoozefest other than to earn the applause of other leftist congresscritters.
Pollster Frank Lunz had a particularly dramatic, nonsensical take, claiming the marathon was world-changing: “I want to emphasize what Cory Booker did over the last 24 hours may have changed the course of political history.” I almost choked when I saw that.
Former President Joe Biden’s longtime communications director Kate Bedingfield brought home some reality though:
Former Biden Comms Director Kate Bedingfield on Democrat Senator Booker's speech:
— Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) April 1, 2025
"It may have a tangible impact on Senator Booker, but it won't have a tangible impact on business in Washington." pic.twitter.com/djdAM8CUtb
Bedingfield even thought the spectacle was amusing:
“The Democratic base, and Democratic donors, are looking for signs of life,” Bedingfield said. “And so what I think Senator Booker is giving them here are — some signs of life. Is it going to have a tangible impact on business in Washington? No, it’s not.”
“It may have a tangible impact on Senator Booker, but it won’t have a tangible impact on business in Washington,” Bedingfield repeated, laughing.
What Corey Booker is doing isn’t that impressive. I dated a girl in college that kept talking for a week straight, and never shut up. It didn’t work out
— Beer Drinking Army Vet (@thomas_garrard) April 1, 2025
More: 'Stella!' The Cory Booker 'Filibuster' Memes Have Arrived and They Are Hilarious
Watch: Cory ‘Spartacus’ Booker Holds a Fake Hours-Long Anti-Trump Filibuster and ‘Nobody Cares’
Not surprisingly, the Trump War Room on X had a 100 percent on-target take:
https://t.co/doDRYhlcB6 pic.twitter.com/70gGgQyLvu
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) April 1, 2025
Given all that, I almost laughed out loud when I saw this headline: “Spotlight turns to Booker as Dems look to fill leadership void.” Seriously, the guy known most for his embarrassing 2018 "I am Spartacus” moment during Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation for the Supreme Court?
But it really does seem as if some Democrats think the dramatic senator is the key to their hopes:
At a time when Democrats have been down in the dumps after losing the White House and Senate majority to Republicans — and as the party has been divided over how best to battle Trump — Booker’s speech provided a spark of enthusiasm for rank-and-file party members and his own colleagues.
“He’s a leader. He knows he’s a leader. What he did … puts him in a position to be an even more impactful voice, and that is really, really good for our party,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who stayed up with Booker during the overnight portion of his address.
Murphy isn’t the only one who thinks the pointless speech that accomplished nothing was somehow a game-changer:
“We’ve all been hearing the same drumbeat: Do something,” Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) said. “He did something for all of us.”
The big question for Booker is whether he can use the attention he won this week to launch himself forward.
As I say with many ideas I hear from Democrats these days, “Go for it.” The hilarity of watching him and former Vice President Kamala Harris battling it out for the nomination would be terrific comedy theater. Her word salads vs. his theatrics would be entertaining indeed.
Run, Cory, run!
Corey Booker to America:
— Mark Mitchell, Rasmussen Reports (@honestpollster) April 1, 2025
Look at me! I'm presidential!
America: pic.twitter.com/pxmnlTMHIn
