Ted Cruz Triggers Corey ‘Spartacus’ Booker During Heated Hearing Exchange [WATCH]

A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday turned confrontational as Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) exchanged words over the lack of prosecutions for protests outside the homes of Supreme Court justices during the Biden administration.

The exchange began when Cruz pressed Booker on whether the Justice Department under Joe Biden had arrested anyone under federal law prohibiting demonstrations aimed at influencing federal judges outside their private residences.

Cruz repeatedly interrupted Booker to demand a yes-or-no answer regarding arrests during protests at the homes of Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Chief Justice John Roberts.

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“I really appreciate that you’ve now shifted the accusation you made earlier,” Booker responded.

“Your accusation was that we were silent in the face of protests at Supreme Court justices’ homes. Again, we joined together in a bipartisan way, not only to condemn that, but to pass legislation to extend round-the-clock security protection—literally days—it was introduced May 5th, passed the Senate in a bipartisan fashion on May 9th.”

Booker was referring to the legislation passed in 2022 to provide expanded security for Supreme Court justices and their families following rising tensions and protests sparked by the leaked draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade.

Cruz cut in to ask again whether anyone had been arrested under 18 U.S. Code § 1507, which prohibits protests intended to influence a judge’s decision outside their home.

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“Sir, you are now changing the accusation,” Booker said, attempting to continue his response.

Cruz interrupted again: “The answer is no.”

Booker responded that he would “pull the record,” before being cut off once more by Cruz.

“My point to you is the accusation that the Democrats on this committee do not care about the safety of federal judges—” Booker began before being interrupted again.

“I did not interrupt you, sir. I would appreciate if you let me finish!” Booker shouted, visibly frustrated.

“I am sick and tired of hearing the kind of heated partisan rhetoric, which is one of the reasons why we have such divisions in this country.”

He continued, “The attacks we see from the President of the United States of America trolling and dragging judges through is what we should be talking about that puts people in danger. I’m simply taking issue with the claim that you made at the top, that people on the Democratic side of the aisle do not care about the safety and the security of judges and said nothing. You said we were silent after people’s houses were protested. That is a patent lie, sir. We were not silent. We took action.”

Cruz, unfazed, responded by highlighting what he viewed as inconsistency in Booker’s approach.

“I do enjoy the fact that my colleague from New Jersey raises his voice and says it’s a patent lie and says he’s doing so in defense of lowering the rhetoric,” Cruz said.

“There is some irony to doing those two together.”

Ted Cruz is on🔥calling Democrat Cory Booker “SPARTACUS” to his face. 💥

“Let the record reflect that ‘Spartacus’ did NOT answer the question…” pic.twitter.com/7TLiTwcOSd

— Steve Gruber (@stevegrubershow) June 3, 2025

Although the Department of Justice charged one man with attempting to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh in June 2022, the Biden-era DOJ did not prosecute protesters for violating federal statutes relating to picketing or parading outside justices’ homes, according to a 2023 National Review report.

The issue of enforcement of federal protest laws and the treatment of judges and law enforcement officers has remained a focal point for Senate Republicans, who have repeatedly questioned the Justice Department’s approach under Biden’s administration.

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