Cory Booker Melts Down in Senate as Democrats Walk Out Over Trump’s Court Pick [WATCH]

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) led a tense and prolonged protest during a Senate Judiciary Committee business meeting on Thursday, shouting over Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) for several minutes before walking out with other Democrats in protest of a vote on President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees.

The confrontation arose after Grassley declined Booker’s request to hold a debate on the nomination of Emil Bove, a former personal attorney to President Trump, who has been nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, based in Philadelphia.

After the request was denied, Booker continued speaking for approximately eight minutes, objecting to the proceedings as Republicans moved forward with the vote.

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“I don’t understand this,” Booker said during the heated exchange.

“What are you afraid of, about even debating this, putting things on the record, hearing from every senator?”

“Dear God. That’s what our obligations are,” he added.

“There’s no need to rush this.”

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“You are obligated to address a point of order according to the rules of this committee,” Booker continued.

“You can overrule me by a Senate vote. You’re violating your own rules.”

Chairman Grassley responded by stating that Booker was “out of order,” and moved forward with the scheduled votes.

Democrats on the committee were seeking to delay Bove’s confirmation by calling for testimony from Erez Reuveni, a former Justice Department attorney who claimed Bove, while serving as principal deputy assistant attorney general, urged the Trump administration to proceed with deportation flights to El Salvador even after a federal judge had ordered them stopped.

According to Reuveni’s allegations, Bove said that the flights should “take off no matter what” despite the court order, and specifically referenced flights to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche responded to the accusations by stating they were “utterly false.”

Despite the dispute, the Judiciary Committee voted to advance Bove’s nomination to the Senate floor, along with four other judicial nominees submitted by President Trump.

The scene became more chaotic as several Senate Democrats, including Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), left the room in protest.

Hirono was heard saying, “This is a kangaroo court,” as she exited.

Booker, who holds the record for the longest filibuster in Senate history after a speech in April, described the proceedings as “absolutely insane.”

He criticized the committee for not allowing additional time for discussion before the vote.

“We’re simply asking for a credible amount of time to air our concerns before the vote,” Booker said.

“This undermines the basic decency of this committee.”

During his remarks, Booker briefly praised Grassley, calling him a “good man” and a “decent man,” but questioned his motives.

“Why are you doing this? What is Donald Trump saying to you that is making you do something which is violating the decorum of this committee, the rules of this committee, the decency?” he asked.

Lmfao this is incredible. Democrats just stormed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Cory Booker spends 5 minutes whining as Republicans ignore him and vote to advance the nomination of Emil Bove to the Court of Appeals.pic.twitter.com/zgTdJHRc1T

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 17, 2025

Republicans on the committee have been under increasing pressure to move faster on judicial confirmations after a slow start in President Trump’s second term.

The Biden-Harris administration and the first Trump administration had advanced judicial nominations at a faster pace by this point in their terms.

Following the walkout and procedural clash, the committee approved all five of President Trump’s nominees, including Bove, sending them to the full Senate for consideration.

JUST IN: Senator Cory Booker is still MELTING DOWN, Furious that Republicans “rammed through” a Trump judicial nominee. Maybe Brooker should practice some self-therapy by talking to himself for 25 straight hours. That would be Stunning and Bravepic.twitter.com/inlNOZWlXU

— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) July 17, 2025