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This is The New Yorker Radio Hour, a co-production of WNYC Studios and The New Yorker.

Welcome to The New Yorker Radio Hour. I'm David Remnick.

April 30th marks 100 days of Donald Trump's second term.

And in that short time, the administration has carried out an unprecedented series of attacks

against legal immigrants, against civic institutions and universities, against the rule of law itself.

The president's tariff policy and all its chaos has absolutely tanked the global economy.

Many Americans who are anguished about the administration are looking for someone to lead the opposition,

because the Democratic Party has, with some

exceptions, been very cautious. And congressional Republicans, in the words of Senator Lisa Murkowski

of Alaska, are all afraid to stand up to Trump. So in the face of this anguish, on March 31st,

Cory Booker of New Jersey launched an epic protest on the floor of the

Senate. Maybe you're an immigrant that's never broken the law. Maybe you're a citizen. Even if you think

the administration's immigration agenda doesn't apply to you, please know that the reckless behavior

we're seeing erodes all of our rights.

And the American mother and the American child right now whose husband was unjustly and illegally deported

and is right now in El Salvadorian prison.

Booker spoke for more than a day.

He spoke for 25 hours, finishing in the evening of April 1st. It was a Jimmy Stewart moment,

an extended rallying cry for decency and the rule of law. Would the senator yield for a question?

Chuck Schumer, it's the only time in my life I can tell you no. I just want to tell you a question. Do you know you have just broken the record? Do you know how proud this caucus is of you? Do you know how proud America is of you?

In fact, this wasn't Cory Booker's first piece of political theater. Years ago, when he was on the city council in Newark, New Jersey,

...