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Grace Won: From KQED, this is Forum. I’m Grace Won, in for Mina Kim.
A year ago today, Cory Booker stood on the Senate floor for 25 hours and 5 minutes to lambast the Trump administration for its assault on democratic norms. It broke a longstanding Senate record held by civil rights opponent Strom Thurmond, and that speech required three days of fasting and 24 hours without drinking anything.
In his new book, Stand, the senior senator from New Jersey urges Americans to fight for a better future. “Our democracy needs more from us than endless posting and scrolling,” writes Booker, “because democracy is not a spectator sport.”
He joins us to talk about this moment and how the activists he’s studied—and those he has known—are informing his vision for the Democratic Party. Welcome to Forum, Senator Booker.
Sen. Cory Booker: It’s so good to be on. Thank you for having me.
Grace Won: Senator Booker, arguments in the birthright citizenship case at the Supreme Court ended just about an hour ago. President Trump was in attendance for part of that argument. This court has delivered both wins and losses for the president. Are you worried it might overturn the precedent of birthright citizenship?
Sen. Cory Booker: Yeah, I’m definitely worried. The signs are that they won’t, but when a case goes before a Supreme Court this conservative, anything is possible. So I’m holding my breath and waiting.
To me, this is clear in the law. Even when Congress was debating the Fourteenth Amendment, opponents said it would create an environment where people in this country—whether documented or not—would have children who are citizens. That was explicitly discussed during the debate, and it still overwhelmingly passed.
So it was clearly congressional intent, and any decision contrary to that would, to me, be wrongly decided.
Grace Won: You went on the show Finding Your Roots with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., and it makes me think about how ancestry is part of your own story. You discovered enslaved people, Confederate soldiers, and Native Americans in your family history. When you think about birthright citizenship, does that connect to what your family history means to you?
Sen. Cory Booker: Yeah, it anguishes me. There’s a dark stream in America—this idea of defining who is “truly American” and otherizing everyone else.
I’m proud that Skip Gates traced my ancestry back to 1640, and that my DNA includes Native American, African American, and European roots. In many ways, I feel like the story of America is written into my DNA.
I’m worried not just about this case, but about broader trends. For the first time, we’ve had a net population decline, in part because this president has throttled even legal immigration. That undermines our economy—job creation, tax revenue—but also the very idea of America.
We are a nation not of one race or religion, but one open to all the streams of humanity. That ideal, inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, is part of what has made us a light to the world.
Grace Won: What do you make of the fact that President Trump attended part of this morning’s hearings?
Sen. Cory Booker: It’s more of his bullying, posturing, and arrogance. To me, it’s another sign of how this president relies on intimidation and undermines the heart of our country.
Grace Won: Tonight, we’re expecting a national address from the president about the Iran war. He has said Iran has been defeated, then that the conflict would continue, and then that it was over. What do you want to hear from him tonight?
Sen. Cory Booker: This president has contradicted himself repeatedly. He’s given shifting reasons for the war—human rights, nuclear threats, missiles, regime change.
Meanwhile, we’ve spent tens of billions of dollars, lost American lives, and have hundreds of injured service members. The situation has worsened: a more extreme regime, disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a global oil shock, and rising costs at home.
This is a failed endeavor. It’s a violation of our Constitution, and it’s created a quagmire with no easy off-ramp. I don’t expect to hear anything compelling unless he admits he made a mistake and seeks a way out. But based on past statements, I don’t trust what he says.
Grace Won: The country is now in this war. What should we—as a country, beyond the president—be doing to get out of what you call a “quagmire”?
Sen. Cory Booker: First, there needs to be a reckoning. The Constitution does not give a president unilateral authority to do what he’s done—spend tens of billions, deploy military forces, and escalate conflict without Congress.
Congress must reassert its authority. What he’s done not only violates the Constitution but threatens democratic principles. Only Congress can declare war.
We need accountability and a path to de-escalation. Right now, there’s been no meaningful oversight, and that has to change.
Grace Won: If past is prologue, it seems unlikely the president will admit wrongdoing. What does that reckoning look like—hearings, impeachment? And can this Congress actually do it?
Sen. Cory Booker: I haven’t seen much backbone from my Republican colleagues. Many express concerns privately but won’t act publicly.
On something as grave as war, Congress hasn’t even held open hearings. There’s been no accountability, no checks and balances.
I’m working with a group of Democrats to push war powers resolutions—forcing votes and bringing this issue to the floor again and again. This should not be business as usual. We have to confront the moral stakes and demand oversight.
Grace Won: We’re hearing reports of some fractures within the Republican Party over support for the conflict. It must be difficult to work with colleagues who say one thing privately and another publicly. How do you navigate that?
Sen. Cory Booker: It’s frustrating. I’ve spent a lot of time studying past Senates and our founders. Jefferson said, “When people are afraid of their government, there is tyranny. When the government is afraid of its people, there is liberty.”
Right now, too many of my colleagues are more afraid of Donald Trump than of the people they represent—even though voters across parties don’t support this war.
We also have to confront a deeper issue: the influence of money in politics. Billionaires and corporations wield enormous power. I’ve seen colleagues face threats of massive primary challenges funded by wealthy donors, and many back down.
We need to address that corruption. It’s distorting our democracy, our tax system, and our economy—and we’re not doing enough to fight it.
Grace Won: When you say Democrats, are you including party leadership?
Sen. Cory Booker: I’m talking about the Democratic Party writ large. Fighting corruption should be a central priority—not just for one party, but for anyone who cares about democracy.
When a small number of wealthy individuals can fund such a large share of political campaigns, that’s dangerous. We all need to prioritize fixing that if we want a government that works for people.
Grace Won: We’re talking with Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. His new book is Stand, which we’ll get into after the break.
We want to hear from you—what are your questions for Senator Booker? Email forum@kqed.org or call 866-733-6786.
I’m Grace Won, in for Mina Kim. More Forum after the break.
