Cory Booker sets record for longest Senate speech in marathon anti-Trump remarks that exceeded 24 hours
Sen. Cory Booker set the record for the longest speech in Senate history this evening in marathon remarks that began last night and tore into what he called the Trump administration’s “grave and urgent” threat to the country.
Booker, D-N.J., surpassed the previous record of 24 hours and 18 minutes by Sen. Strom Thurmond, D-S.C., set in 1957. And he’s still going.
His remarks went viral — the live feed of the speech on Booker’s TikTok account had more than 220 million likes by tonight, and users were posting fan edits.
“Twelve hours now I’m standing, and I’m still going strong because this president is wrong, and he’s violating principles that we hold dear and principles in this document that are so clear and plain,” Booker said around 7 a.m., holding up a copy of the Constitution.
Trump announces agreement with law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Trump announced today that his administration had reached an agreement with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, one of the law firms to come into the administration’s crosshairs.
The firm will take a series of actions in accordance with the agreement, Trump said on Truth Social, including providing $100 million in pro bono legal representation to causes Trump and the firm “both support” relating to assisting veterans and other public servants, such as law enforcement; “ensuring fairness in our Justice System”; and combating antisemitism.
In addition, it will "not engage" diversity, equity and inclusion policies in its hiring practices and will not deny representation to clients "because of the personal political views of individual lawyers," Trump said.
Former second gentleman Doug Emhoff is a partner at the firm.
The Trump administration has reached similar agreements with other prominent law firms, including Paul Weiss and Skadden Arps.
“Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP proactively reached out to President Trump and his Administration, offering their decisive commitment to ending the Weaponization of the Justice System and the Legal Profession,” the White House said in a statement included in Trump’s post.
A statement Trump attributed in his post to the firm's chairman, Thomas Cerabino, said, “The Firm looks forward to having a constructive relationship with the Trump Administration, and remains committed to serving the needs of our clients, our employees, and the communities of which we are a part."
Musk says there's an impending arrest 'hopefully this week' tied to Social Security fraud
Musk said in a Fox News interview this afternoon that an unnamed person who he alleged was responsible for stealing more than 400,000 Social Security numbers would be arrested "hopefully this week."
"When I see that terrible fraud has happened, I'm like, why haven't we arrested someone already?" Musk said, adding that an arrest was forthcoming.
Aked in a tele-rally last night in support of conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel about Attorney General Pam Bondi's prosecuting fraud in the Social Security system, Musk said, “I believe someone is going to be arrested tomorrow.”
The Justice Department has not publicly announced any such investigation or arrest.
Musk has advanced a series of claims about Social Security fraud to promote cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency. Responding to a question yesterday about where he anticipated he would find the most fraud, he said: "It's going to be a contest between the IRS, Social Security and Medicare, Medicaid, but I could be proven wrong. But that's probably where, where it's going to be."
Japan to push for exemption from U.S. auto tariff
U.S. ally Japan is pushing hard for an exemption from 25% U.S. auto tariffs set to take effect Thursday, its prime minister said.
Automobiles are Japan’s top export to the U.S., according to customs data. Companies such as Toyota, the world’s top-selling automaker and one of the top-selling brands in the U.S., could be especially vulnerable, CNBC reported, even though it has production facilities across the U.S.
“Japan is the largest investor in the U.S. In light of this, we will continue to strongly urge the U.S. to exempt our nation,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo today.
Ishiba added that his government was examining the tariff’s potential impact on domestic industries and employment and would “take all necessary measures” to protect the Japanese economy.
Trump to hold a White House meeting on TikTok as deadline nears
Trump will meet with Vice President JD Vance and other advisers tomorrow to discuss an offer for TikTok as a deadline nears to keep the social media app running in the U.S, two people familiar with the plans tell NBC News.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and national security adviser Michael Waltz are also expected to participate in the Oval Office meeting, one of the sources said.
The scheduled meeting was first reported by CBS News. White House spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for additional details.
TikTok’s fate in the U.S. has been in doubt since last year, when then-President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation that forced the app’s Chinese-based owner, ByteDance, to sell the app to a non-Chinese buyer or face a nationwide ban. No such deal came to fruition, and Trump extended the deadline via an executive order on his first day in office, effectively giving TikTok until Saturday to find a solution that would keep it online. Trump also tapped Vance and Waltz to shepherd a deal.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer postpones D.C. speech, citing severe storms in Michigan
Michigan's Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has postponed a speech scheduled for Thursday in Washington, D.C., to remain in her home state as it sustains a series of severe storms.
"She must postpone the speech to remain in Michigan, coordinating the state’s emergency response efforts after northern Michigan has faced extreme ice storms. With additional severe weather on the way, she is focused on assisting recovery efforts and providing resources," Whitmer's office said in a statement today.
The speech, which Whitmer's office said will be rescheduled, was expected to focus on bipartisan strategies for shared manufacturing, supply chain and national defense issues. Whitmer was also expected to sit down with former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson following her remarks.
Booker overtakes Sen. Ted Cruz for 4th-longest Senate speech
At 4:20 p.m., Booker’s marathon speech overtook Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, whose 2013 filibuster of the Affordable Care Act lasted 21 hours and 19 minutes. Cruz responded to the news by tweeting an image of Homer Simpson crying.
Booker now has the fourth-longest Senate floor speech in history.
Leaders of Canada and Mexico speak ahead of looming U.S. tariffs
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke today, a day before the Trump administration is set to expand sweeping tariffs.
"The leaders had a productive call, discussing the importance of building upon the strong trading and investment relationship between the two countries, to benefit Canadians and Mexicans alike," according to Carney's office.
The statement added, "With challenging times ahead, Prime Minister Carney and President Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of safeguarding North American competitiveness while respecting the sovereignty of each nation. Prime Minister Carney also highlighted his plan to fight unjustified trade actions against Canada, protect Canadian workers’ businesses, and build Canada’s economy, including through increased trade between Canada and Mexico."
The Trump administration first imposed the tariffs on Canada and Mexico earlier this month and issued exemptions for goods that comply with the North American trade deal. Those exemptions expire tomorrow.
Asked whether Trump plans to extend those exemptions, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at the daily briefing that she didn't want to get ahead of Trump's announcement tomorrow.
"Look, I will let the president speak on the specifics of the tariffs tomorrow," she said.
Cassidy invites RFK to testify about HHS layoffs
Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., and ranking member Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have invited Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify before the committee on the “reorganization of HHS."
The hearing, scheduled for April 10, comes as the administration has started to carry out mass layoffs across the department.
Cassidy, who publicly struggled with RFK’s nomination, said that in order to get his support, RFK committed to appear before the HELP committee on a quarterly basis if requested. RFK made several other commitments to Cassidy to secure his vote, including committing to “an unprecedentedly close collaborative working relationship” between them.
Group of GOP lawmakers grinds House floor to a halt over proxy voting fight
WASHINGTON — A band of Republican lawmakers brought the House floor to a halt today over a bitter dispute with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and conservatives in their own party over a plan to allow remote voting for lawmakers who become parents.
A procedural rule vote to advance the House GOP’s package of bills for the week failed 206-222, with nine Republicans bucking GOP leadership and voting with all 213 Democrats. The failed vote means, for now, those pieces of legislation cannot move forward for a final vote.
Shortly after the vote, congressional leaders said that they were sending lawmakers home for the week and would bring them back Monday.