Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, was feeling dramatic Saturday at the 38th Annual Michigan Democratic Women’s Caucus Legacy Luncheon in Detroit, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano / Getty Images)
By Nick Givas April 20, 2026 at 5:46pm
Democratic Sen. Corey Booker of New Jersey called for “foot soldiers” to defend democracy, citing “darkness” and the need to “redeem the dream of America.”
Booker was speaking Saturday at the Legacy Luncheon in Detroit to the Michigan Democratic Women’s Caucus, and told a story about his time as mayor of Newark, New Jersey, during Hurricane Sandy.
He then shouted, “Ladies and gentlemen, there is a storm in our nation!”
“There is darkness and wind,” he continued. “People are getting hurt! What we need is not from on high. We need foot soldiers of our Democracy who, in times of trial, are willing to stand up!”
Cory Booker screams like a maniac that there is a “STORM” brewing in our nation and Democrat politicians need their “foot soldiers” to fight for democracy
Democrats must never regain power.https://t.co/wETIQolNhq pic.twitter.com/ipU0ejADCV
— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) April 20, 2026
“Will you stand for our democracy?” Booker asked. “Will you stand to get out the vote? Will you stand for our children? Will you stand up for our elders? And will you stand together, unified, strong, be the hope that people need?”
He added, “We are Democrats! It’s time for a new deal! It’s time to redeem the dream of America.”
Booker has always had a flair for the dramatic. In 2018, he was widely ridiculed for how he conducted himself during the questioning of then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
In that case, he referred to himself as “Spartacus,” referencing the climactic moment in the 1960 film of the same name, about a legendary leader of a slave revolt against the ancient Romans.
In that scene, all of the rebellious slaves chose to identify themselves as “Spartacus” to share the blowback from Roman leaders.
“I appreciate the comments from my colleagues. This is about the closest I’ll ever have in my life to an ‘I am Spartacus’ moment,” he said, referring to his phony claim of having violated Senate Committee rules, when he released a set of previously “confidential” White House emails related to Kavanaugh. Officials later revealed that Booker’s office had received permission for him share the documents hours before his dramatic speech.
He was mocked by lawmakers and media personalities alike.
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Nick Givas has been a reporter for The Daily Caller, Fox News, and served as Managing Editor of the Newsroom at Project Veritas. He’s also hosted three different podcasts, served as a Congressional Communications Director, and had his work featured in The Federalist, Daily Signal, New York Post, and Real Clear Politics.
