Sen. Cory Booker made history Tuesday with the longest Senate speech ever recorded, surpassing segregationist Strom Thurmond’s 1957 record by speaking for 25 hours and 5 minutes. The moment quickly went viral across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X, with supporters praising Booker’s endurance and message of unity. His TikTok livestream drew over 300,000 viewers at once and collected more than 350 million likes, according to his office.

The speech drew comparisons to civil rights leaders and moved viewers to tears. One user wrote, “This is the history we should be craving,” while others thanked Booker for showing what public service should look like. Many posts highlighted the significance of replacing Thurmond’s anti-integration record with a speech centered on American values and justice.

Booker, who has long embraced social media to connect with constituents—whether shoveling snow or crowdsourcing pizza recommendations—said on MSNBC that the “long 25 hours” left him feeling tired but grateful. He fasted and stopped drinking water to avoid leaving the floor, bringing 1,164 pages of material to sustain the effort.

In a statement afterward, Booker emphasized that his marathon speech marked a beginning, not an end: “We cannot afford to be silent. I believe that history will show we rose to meet this moment.”