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cory booker filibuster
cory booker filibuster
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Culture > News

These Cory Booker Protest Filibuster Memes Are The Moment

On March 31, Democratic Senator Cory Booker took the Senate floor, remarking, “Tonight, I rise with the intention of getting in some good trouble.” At 7 p.m. EST, Booker began a 20-hour (and counting, at the time of writing) speech intended to draw attention to what he called President Donald Trump administration’s “recklessness” — adding, “I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able.” 

As it continued overnight and into April 1, Booker’s speech covered a range of topics, including tariffs, mass federal worker firings, and increased deportations. “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, and even our aspirations as a people for — from our highest offices — a sense of common decency,” Booker said in his speech.
This is not the first time Booker has talked at length before Congress in order to disrupt its typical proceedings. In 2016, he joined Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut during his 15-hour filibuster speech advocating for gun control. This is the first marathon speech that he’s led himself, though, and while it doesn’t technically qualify as a filibuster (the word for a tactic Senators use to block voting on legislation or nominations by stalling), the speech has absolutely drawn attention to issues that many Americans are facing and made waves online.

Below, check out some of the best memes about Booker’s speech (which is one of the longest Senate speeches in history).

Some users on X have posted GIFs of pride paired with quotes from Booker’s speech, specifically referencing his yielding of the floor for questions, which is a common tactic used during filibusters where other senators ask questions that are often long enough to give the speaker a chance to rest their voice.

Many users on X and Bluesky have also commended Booker for speaking for such a long period of time without losing steam or stopping. The longest filibuster to date was on August 28, 1957, when Democratic Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

https://bsky.app/profile/flavorflav.bsky.social/post/3llqt5hj5yc2m

Some of the best memes are snapshots of Booker during the speech, with users saying they’ll now use Booker’s photo any time they have lots to say during an argument.

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Thank you for your service (and the memes), Senator Booker.

Julia Hecht

Miami '25

Julia Hecht is the spring 2025 Her Campus News and Politics intern. This semester, she will be covering the new presidential administration and trending stories relevant to Her Campus readers.

Originally from the Jersey shore, Julia is a senior at the University of Miami with a major in journalism and minors in public relations and gender and sexuality studies. She is also a member of her university's campus television station, UMTV, and lifestyle magazine, Distraction. Prior to joining Her Campus, Julia worked as a news intern at NBC 10 Boston, where she helped cover local stories, the 2024 election and the Paris Olympics. She is passionate about amplifying voices in underrepresented communities and examining social and cultural trends relevant to young people.

In her free time, Julia loves to thrift, take photos on her film camera, and play pickleball under the Florida sun. After graduating in May, she hopes to return to her Northeast roots for career opportunities and also, bagels.