Senator Cory Booker isn’t mincing words. In an impassioned warning to his own party, the New Jersey Democrat is urging fellow Democrats to stop “bending the knee” to Donald Trump and start fighting like democracy depends on it — because, he says, it does.
“This is a moment in history where people are going to ask, ‘Where did you stand? Did you bow to an authoritarian leader or did you stand strong and fight?’” Booker told CNN in a blunt and wide-ranging interview. “History is going to remember these people for their complicity.”
The remarks come amid growing frustration among Democratic voters, many of whom feel party leaders are not responding aggressively enough to Trump’s second-term power grabs — from pressuring corporations and universities, to weaponizing redistricting and DOJ resources.
“Outrageous” Complicity
Booker accused law firms, corporations, and academic institutions of caving to Trump’s demands in order to win favors or avoid political blowback.
“What I want to see more people doing is not doing what some law firms have done — bend the knee to Donald Trump. Not doing what some universities have done. Not doing what some major corporations have done to get merger approvals,” he said. “That, to me, is outrageous.”
The senator invoked Trump’s incitement of the January 6 insurrection as a line in the sand — one that, he argued, too many powerful institutions have already stepped over. “He’s already tried to undermine our government. And now he’s being normalized. It’s not acceptable.”
Redistricting: Time to Play Hardball
Booker also urged Democrats to abandon their idealism on redistricting. With Republicans in Texas advancing a Trump-backed mid-decade redraw that could net the GOP five additional congressional seats, Booker says it’s time for Democrats to counterpunch.
“Trump thinks you should break the rules,” he said. “So for Democrats to sit back and say, ‘We’ll just play by the queen’s rules’ — that’s a losing strategy.”
Booker called on his own state, New Jersey, to consider redrawing House maps to rebalance the battlefield heading into 2026. “We need to stop him from cheating, from lying, and from stealing the election,” he said. “If they’re adding congressional seats, we need to look at our ways of doing that right now.”
A Party Divided
Booker’s urgency comes at a time when progressives are gaining steam within the party, as seen in New York City where 33-year-old Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani shocked the establishment with a primary win in the mayoral race. Booker declined to say whether he supports Mamdani, dodging with a quip: “New York City, I love you. You’re my neighbor… You guys figure out your elections. I’m going to focus on mine.”
Still, the split is clear — between Democrats who want to escalate the fight, and those still clinging to old norms in an age of chaos.
Taking on DOJ Politics
Booker has also clashed with Senate Democrats over bipartisan police benefits bills, attempting to add amendments that would prevent the Trump administration from withholding DOJ grants for political reasons — something Booker says is already happening in New Jersey.
“How far are we going to let Trump go until we draw a line?” he said. “Whether it’s on the Senate floor or in our communities, we have to stand against this authoritarianism.”
No More Knees
Booker’s message isn’t just for his colleagues — it’s for every Democrat in power, from governors to corporate leaders to university presidents: Trump is rewriting the rules. If Democrats don’t respond in kind, Booker warns, they’ll be remembered not as defenders of democracy — but as enablers of its decline.
And for Booker, that’s not a legacy worth leaving.
