Booker’s ‘performance art’ encapsulates the current Democratic Party: Joe Concha – Washington Examiner

Asher NotheisApril 2, 2025

In a recent article by Joe concha for the *washington Examiner*,Senator Cory Booker’s more than 24-hour speech was described as “performance art of the cheesiest variety,” reflecting the current state of the Democratic Party. Booker delivered the lengthy speech as a protest against president Donald Trump, which some viewed as heroic. However, Concha criticized it as indicative of a party more focused on theatrical gestures rather than substantive solutions, noting their low approval ratings. He expressed concern that the party is pursuing a “resistance” narrative that fails to resonate with voters. Concha suggested that the Democratic Party should seek a more optimistic vision to help improve its standing with the public, rather than relying on stunts like Booker’s speech. Additionally, other politicians, such as Senators Ted Cruz and Jim Banks, echoed Concha’s sentiments, highlighting the ineffective nature of such performances amidst ongoing political tensions.

Booker’s ‘performance art’ encapsulates the current Democratic Party: Joe Concha

The Washington Examiner’s Joe Concha dismissed Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-NJ) speech on Tuesday, deeming it “performance art of the cheesiest variety” as the latest stunt by the Democratic Party.

Booker’s speech, which lasted for over a full 24-hour day, was a protest against President Donald Trump and his administration, which Concha, a senior writer for the Washington Examiner, noted has some heralding Booker as a hero. However, Concha added, the speech “encapsulates” the current state of the Democratic Party and the media, which is largely focused on “performance art” in portraying themselves as heroes of the “resistance.”

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“But this changes absolutely nothing, except for the fact that the party has never looked and acted so unhinged,” Concha stated on Fox News’s Fox & Friends First. “And you look at a CNN poll that was out yesterday, the Democratic Party’s at 21% approval. I mean, you go on the street, and one person will say, ‘Yeah, kind of like the job that they’re doing.’” Rachel Zegler and Snow White are more popular at this point than the party, and I think stunts like this, again, that’s what we’ve seen from the Democratic Party since Donald Trump took office again.”

Concha’s reference to Snow White was referring to the 2025 remake starring Rachel Zegler as the title character, which flopped at the box office following several controversial statements Zegler made regarding Trump supporters and Palestinians. He added that the Democratic Party’s “stunts” and “resistance” against the Trump administration is all it is currently offering, which is ultimately failing to resonate with voters.

Concha was then asked about Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s (D-WA) “resistance labs,” as well as her advocacy to become supporters in “taking down a dictatorship,” a knock against Trump. Concha was greatly critical of the congresswoman’s remarks, pointing to how two assassination attempts were made against the current president last year; he was also perplexed why some Democrats continue to press this rhetoric when it did not help them win the presidential election.

HERE’S HOW CORY BOOKER HELD THE SENATE FLOOR FOR 25 HOURS STRAIGHT

Going forward, Concha advised the Democratic Party to find an “optimistic vision” to sell to voters on what it would do to help the country. As of now, however, this vision cannot be presented to voters because the party is currently on “the 20-side of every 80-20 issue.”

He is far from the only one to dismiss Booker’s lengthy speech on Tuesday, as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) joked about “pulling the fire alarm” to end it presumptively, a joke referring to a stunt former Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman did in 2023. Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) also contended that Booker was speaking out against various stances of the Trump administration, like border security and rooting out waste within the government, and that it’s “no wonder” the Democratic Party’s approval rating is low.