Tensions erupted on the Senate floor Tuesday as internal divisions among Democrats spilled into public view, with Senator Cory Booker accusing his colleagues of aiding President Donald Trump’s agenda by advancing bipartisan police reform bills.
The fiery exchange, which centered on legislation introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, highlighted ongoing fractures in the Democratic Party following its 2024 presidential election defeat.
Booker forcefully objected to moving the policing bills forward without guarantees that funding wouldn’t be withheld from Democratic-led states like New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. “This is the problem with Democrats right now,” he said. “We’re willing to be complicit with Donald Trump to let this pass, when we have all the leverage.”
The New Jersey senator’s remarks grew more impassioned as he declared, “Don’t be complicit to the president of the United States,” shouting so loudly that his voice was reportedly heard outside the chamber, according to The New York Times.
Klobuchar responded by criticizing Booker for skipping a Senate hearing on the bills, saying, “I can’t help it if someone couldn’t change their schedule to be there. I think these hearings should mean something.”
That drew an angry rebuttal from Booker: “Don’t question my integrity. Don’t question my motives. I’m standing for Jersey, for my police officers, for the Constitution, and for what’s right. And if you want to come at me that way, you’ll have to take it up with me.”
Cortez Masto also pushed back, warning that delaying bipartisan reforms would harm law enforcement. “I’m not sure the answer is to stop legislation that gives police the tools they need to protect our communities,” she said.
After the clash, Booker doubled down on social media, posting: “Democrats need to fight. I’m standing for Jersey.”
Meanwhile, Cortez Masto took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the bill’s passage, highlighting how it would extend survivor benefits to the families of retired officers killed in the line of duty. “Supporting law enforcement isn’t about party politics,” she wrote. “It’s about standing with the brave men and women who keep us safe every day.”
As Democrats try to regroup ahead of the 2026 midterms, the heated debate over law enforcement funding and strategy underscores the deep rifts within the party — and the challenges it faces in uniting against a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress.
