Cory Booker Vows to Stand Firm Against Trump, Willing to Face Jail Over Political Intimidation
Sen. Cory Booker, the Democratic senator from New Jersey, signaled unwavering defiance against President Donald Trump during an appearance Thursday on MSNBC’s The Briefing, making clear that neither threats nor political pressure would silence him.
Host Jen Psaki framed the conversation around Trump’s ongoing attacks and the broader political climate, asking Booker what message he had for whistleblowers and others speaking out amid heightened tensions.
“Trump attacked you today,” Psaki said. “You’re in elected office. You accept that, I know. But what do you say to people? What is your message to whistleblowers or people whose stories are so important to tell about why they should do it now, and what impact it could have?”
Booker responded without hesitation: “Stand up and fight. I’m going to continue to fight. I don’t care if this president calls me out every day, mean tweets me, threatens me.”
The senator referenced a series of high-profile arrests in Newark, framing them as part of a broader strategy to intimidate local officials and activists. “We know I’ve had open conversations with senators I never thought I would have because we saw what they’ve done with a congressperson. My Congresswoman LaMonica McIver — arresting her. My mayor — they’ve arrested. They’re picking off, it seems, people that live in Newark that are in elected positions. But I don’t care. Throw me in jail. Do what you have to do. I’m going to continue to stand up for what’s right,” Booker declared.
He closed with a rallying cry for civic courage: “I’m hoping that when one person stands up and calls this out, it ignites the courage of another person and another person and another person. We have to, at a time that our fundamental rights and freedoms — that the very democracy we know is precious — is under attack by this president. We’ve got to have more people willing to stand up and fight and take him on.”
The senator’s comments come amid legal challenges facing Rep. LaMonica McIver, the Democratic congresswoman from New Jersey, who made her initial court appearance in May after being charged by the Department of Justice with allegedly assaulting ICE agents. McIver, 38, appeared virtually from Washington, D.C., where the judge ordered her to surrender her firearms and barred her from leaving the country except for official duties, pending her June 11 preliminary hearing. She faces up to eight years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 if convicted, according to the New York Post.
McIver, who has represented New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District since September, has described the charges as politically motivated and grounded in racial bias, using the indictment to fundraise and rally support. She contended that ICE agents escalated the confrontation, though video evidence appears to show her shoving and striking federal officers at a detention facility.
“It was very unnecessary,” McIver told CNN, calling the charges “absurd” while insisting, “I was there to do my job. If I’m going to be charged with a crime for doing my job, it really speaks to where we’re headed in this country.”
Acting New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, a former attorney for Trump, defended the prosecution. “This has nothing to do with congressional oversight, and it has nothing to do with politics. It’s about respecting those who risk their lives to keep us safe,” she told The Post.
Booker’s remarks and McIver’s legal challenges highlight the intensifying clash between Democratic elected officials in New Jersey and the Trump administration, signaling a broader national debate over political intimidation, the rule of law, and the limits of protest and oversight in a deeply polarized environment.