Sen. Cory Booker said Sunday he anticipates increased Republican pushback against President Donald Trump after several recent actions by the administration, including a move to create a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization compensation fund.
Speaking with Jonathan Karl on ABC News’ ‘This Week,’ Booker argued that the president is eroding democratic checks and balances. He said Americans once fought to prevent a single ruler from using public funds without oversight, and that the current administration is giving a dangerous lesson in how quickly institutions can be weakened.
The proposed fund would let people who claim government mistreatment apply for payments and could potentially cover individuals who were convicted, but later pardoned by Trump, for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. A federal judge temporarily blocked the creation of the fund on Friday, one of several court rulings in recent days that halted Trump initiatives.
In a separate decision, a different federal judge ordered that Trump’s name be removed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The president criticized that ruling on his social media platform and said he would work with Congress to determine the institution’s future.
Booker sharply criticized the president for affixing his name to the Kennedy Center in the first place and said he has heard concern from Republican colleagues. He noted that more members of the president’s party have pushed back recently, especially after Trump-endorsed challengers defeated some incumbent Republicans in primaries.
When asked whether he expects further GOP resistance, Booker said he is absolutely expecting it. He said Republicans privately express how shocked they are by the president’s behavior, calling out the move to place Trump’s name on a memorial to an assassinated president as especially offensive and rhetorically asking whether iconic sites like the Lincoln Memorial could be next.
Democrats have also criticized other efforts by the administration to tie national symbols to the president, including a proposal to issue a special $250 bill for the country’s 250th anniversary that would feature the president’s likeness, an idea that would require changing the law to allow a living person on U.S. currency.
Booker called the nation’s founding anniversary too important to center on any one person and described Trump as a divider in chief. He said he hopes recent events are reminding Americans that the nation’s history is about the power of the people over those in office.
With midterm elections about five months away, Democrats are looking for opportunities in the House and Senate to block or slow the president’s agenda. Booker highlighted how critical control of the Senate is to checking the presidency.
One competitive contest he mentioned is in Maine, where GOP Sen. Susan Collins faces a challenge from outsider Graham Platner. Reports surfaced that during vetting, Platner’s wife allegedly told campaign officials about his sending sexually explicit messages to other women. Platner’s wife later posted a video on X saying their marriage is strong and that they are receiving counseling.
Booker said he is concerned about Platner and believes the campaign needs to answer questions. He did not say whether he would withdraw support, emphasizing instead his focus on helping Democrats retake the Senate. Booker warned that without the votes necessary to control both chambers, the country could continue to face an unchecked president.