this post was submitted on 22 Oct 2025
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Jeff Merkley of Oregon gave address to make case that president is ‘violating the law’ through authoritarianism

Oregon’s Jeff Merkley gave a marathon, nearly 23-hour speech on the Senate floor that began on Tuesday and ended late Wednesday, pressing the case that Donald Trump is acting as an authoritarian by prosecuting political enemies and deploying the military into Merkley’s home town of Portland.

The 68-year-old senator began speaking around 6.20pm on Tuesday evening and continued until just after 5pm on Wednesday. Standing continuously on the Senate floor alongside placards that read “authoritarianism is here now!” and “Trump is violating the law”, Merkley paused only to take questions from fellow Democratic senators who joined him in the chamber to make their own points about the president’s conduct.

“I’ve come to the Senate floor tonight to ring the alarm bells. We’re in the most perilous moment, the biggest threat to our republic since the civil war. President Trump is shredding our constitution,” Merkley said as he began his speech.

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[–] Octavio@lemmy.world 90 points 1 week ago (10 children)

People: Vote Democrats out of power at all levels of government.

People: "Why won't the Democrats do anything?"

Democrats: Do literally the only thing they can do given the people voted them out of power.

People: "Empty gesture."

People suck.

[–] WizardofFrobozz@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 week ago

Middle aged Korean politicians were literally scaling walls and grabbing the guns out of cops’ hands a few months ago.

Have some fucking self-respect and stop making excuses for cowards.

collapsed inline media

[–] shaggyb@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If this was "literally the only thing they can do", then it would be the only thing Republicans have been doing, too.

[–] Octavio@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I’m about done here, but I’ll take the bait this once. Republicans didn’t do shit until we stupidly voted them back into power. Trump was on his way to jail until millions of people who voted for Biden found some dumb ass reason not to vote for Harris. Every horrible thing the Supreme Court has done for the past 10 years would have gone the other way if the “But her emails” crowd had held their noses and voted for the admittedly horrible Hillary in 2016. If 1 percent of Florida Nader fans in 2000 had voted for Gore, we could have had someone who wrote a book about environmental issues instead of someone who got rich exploiting oil and gas. Obama wasn’t perfect of course but he did get healthcare access for millions of people who didn’t have it before and was working on other things that would have made things better until the 2010 “shellacking” swept democrats out of power and neutralized the rest of his presidency, just like what happened to the very flawed but better than republicans Bill Clinton in 1994.

I’m farther left than ANY of the democrats I’ve mentioned and it sucks we have to settle. But the things some people insist don’t matter baffles me. Truly, what would you have Senator Merkely do? Go nuclear and shut down the government to stop benefit cuts? Done. It’s not accomplishing anything either, because trump is a lawless president and the republicans in congress refuse to stop him. He just keeps paying ICE and uses the so called shut down to defund things he doesn’t like. This is possible because we voted republicans back into power.

The problem is always republicans. The only way to stop it is unity. Instead we splinter. Nice.

[–] shaggyb@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I'll happily support Democrats fighting.

I don't believe they have the courage.

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[–] skooma_king@piefed.social 42 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Feel kinda dumb for not knowing already, but do they get to take a piss break during this?

[–] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 54 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

No, Booker said he fasted for days and stopped drinking water 24 hours before his speech to not leave the floor. Strom Thurmond famously had a bucket placed close enough to keep one foot in the room while he relieved himself.

[–] skooma_king@piefed.social 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Modern day, these are all recorded right? Thinking a pee face compilation (hard to believe no diapers) would be a great addition to 2025.

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Go full LBJ and just whip it out mid speech in full view. I doubt cspan would be quick to censor.

[–] _stranger_@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That man was insane, but sometimes I fantasize about that high pressure shower he supposedly has installed.

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 week ago

LBJ was a specific style of batshit that comes from not giving an iota of a fuck about social cues and I aspire to such capabilities.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 1 week ago

The article I read said that Booker, Andy Kim, and a few other Dems would occasionally ask him "extended questions" to give him a break. Dunno if he's allowed to leave the floor or not, but I imagine the "extended questions" are just them doing nonsense filibuster bullshit for a few mins

[–] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

They have condom catheters for urine bags. Anyone know if those are "against the rule"?

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[–] errer@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Assert dominance, drink all the water you want and piss yourself. Keep the floor for weeks.

[–] nuko147@lemmy.world 38 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Without wanting to being a dick, and believing that is an astonishing achievement for a politician, especially of his age, i think that is a nice gesture,

but if the Democrats wont call people on the Streets, nothing will change. SPD did the same tactic against Nazis back in 1930s and you know the results. Ofc they cant do that because that will be as betraying the corp interests.

[–] favoredponcho@lemmy.zip 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yeah, democrats need to call for a general strike.

[–] switcheroo@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago

That's my senator! I think I would have passed out after an hour.

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

68 years old and 23 hours, wow!

[–] fittedsyllabi@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

23 hours and nobody heard it.

[–] Angelevo@feddit.nl 11 points 1 week ago

Grand gesture!

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