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US senator Cory Booker gives record-breaking 24-hour speech against Donald Trump
US Senator Cory Booker delivered a record-breaking speech, 24 hours and 20 minutes long, protesting the policies of US President Donald Trump
US senator and democrat Cory Booker on Tuesday gave the longest speech in Senate history, lasting more than 24 hours and 20 minutes, to protest against President Donald Trump's policies, reported news agency AFP.
Cory Booker broke the record set in 1957 by right-wing Republican Strom Thurmond in a speech opposing the Civil Rights Act.
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The 55-year-old Democratic senator from New Jersey took to the Senate floor on Monday and vowed to remain there as long as he was “physically able".
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Cory Booker also fielded questions from various Democratic allies, and was accompanied by them for short periods of time. His move effectively delayed any legislative business in the Senate and was a symbolic act of protest against the Republican majority.
What did Cory Booker say in his speech?
The speech, which was the longest in Senate history, highlighted Cory Booker's frustration with the Trump administration and targeted the President for being a “threat to democracy."
Booker levelled criticism against Donald Trump for introducing cuts to funding, layoffs for employees, overhaul of healthcare programmes and other policies which led the “country into a crisis.”
In his speech, Booker said, as quoted by CNN, "These are not normal times in our nation, and they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”
“In just 71 days, the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans’ safety; financial stability; the core foundations of our democracy,” Booker added.
