Booker touched on many subjects like Trump’s executive orders, the climate crisis, immigration, education and the economy. He said the Trump administration has “unconstitutionally affected, attacked, even shattered” America. He read letters from families affected by the Medicaid cuts and concerned with new policies. These letters brought real world examples, and made me sympathize with these citizens. To show that it wasn’t just the democratic party complaining about Trump’s administration, Booker read quotes of Republican senators, governors, and Chief Executive Officer’s of healthcare companies who had negative opinions on the Medicaid cuts.

     Throughout the speech, he kept asking, “Where were you?” calling Senators to action against this. I thought this was successful because it caused other Senators to ask questions and challenge Booker’s claims. It’s also prompting citizens to claim their right to Democracy by voting and lobbying against Trump. 

     He then went on to directly call out Trump saying, “This is not normal… Listen to Americans… They’re rising up in state after state, not along partisan lines, but as an American line.” This sparked protests around the country, for Medicaid and other issues such as civil rights. I was inspired to research more on what this administration has done since President Trump has been inaugurated. 

     Cory Booker then went on to talk about the ways Trump has negatively affected us. He mentioned how Trump is slowly ruining our Democracy, firing Federal Bureau of Investigation agents that investigated his prior cases, introducing bills that would reduce voter turnout, among other things. I agree,  America as a whole should be paying attention to how these policies can affect us in future elections.

     This act of protest was one of the most prominent we’ve had throughout the Trump administration. I can’t imagine how hard it is to talk for 25 hours straight without eating, using the bathroom and stopping. Standing for more than an hour is already hard enough, 25 is unreal. The amount of dedication Booker put into this speech is admirable and has been worth it for him so far. His goal was to educate and bring awareness to these issues, while also calling people to protest for their rights. Following this speech, there were protests in all 50 states, mobilizing others to act against the brewing tyranny in America.