Booker says surpassing segregationist's Senate speech record was "important"

• "Strom Thurmond's record always kind of just really irked me that ... the longest speech on our great Senate floor was someone who was trying to stop people like me from being in the Senate," Booker told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow moments after finally ending a speech that began at 7pm Monday.
• "So to surpass that was something I didn't know if we could do, but it was something that once we got closer, became more and more important to me."

Driving the news: Booker embarked on the marathon Senate session to protest President Trump's policies and the effects of Elon Musk's and DOGE's federal cost-cutting efforts on agencies and people's jobs.

• "To hate him is wrong, and maybe my ego got too caught up that if I stood here, maybe, maybe, just maybe, I could break this record of the man who tried to stop the rights upon which I stand," Booker said as he neared the new record.
• "I'm not here, though, because of his speech. I'm here despite his speech. I'm here because as powerful as he was, the people were more powerful."

• The New Jersey senator sounded hoarse when he spoke with Maddow and noted he was "definitely hurting a little bit."
• But he added: "I'm feeling strong in spirit and grateful to so many people who allowed me to tell their stories on the Senate floor, and who were there for me, from the parliamentary staff to my colleagues. It was a long 25 hours, but I'm feeling a lot of gratitude."

Go deeper: Booker sets record for longest Senate speech ever with anti-Trump marathon

Editor's note: This article has been updated with details from Sen. Cory Booker's Senate speech.