Gadarian Discusses Cory Booker’s Marathon Speech on the Senate Floor in Axios Article

April 5, 2025

Axios

Shana Kushner Gadarian

Political Science Department

Campbell Public Affairs Institute

Congress

Federal

Political Parties

United States

Axios

Shana Kushner Gadarian

Sen. Cory Booker’s marathon speech on the Senate floor gave the struggling Democratic Party much-needed attention and energized its base in the Trump era. His more than 24-hour speech highlighted what he called the administration’s “recklessness” and gained massive online traction.

For Democrats, who have been struggling with approval ratings and leadership direction, Booker’s bold move could serve as a turning point in rallying opposition to Trump.

“Senator Booker's marathon speech on the floor of Senate is intended to do two things,” says Shana Gadarian, professor of political science. “First, bring attention to the threat that Booker and Democrats argue that Donald Trump poses to the health of American democracy and the welfare of the American public and two, be a rallying cry for other Democrats to act boldly with whatever means they have,” Gadarian says.

“Members of the minority party have fewer formal tools to enact their preferred policies but, in the Senate, they can stop action from happening, they can bring issues on to the agenda, and they can embolden other people in the party and in the public to articulate their values,” she adds.

Read more in the Axios article, “Cory Booker's epic Senate speech puts Democrats back in the spotlight.”