‘We Can’t Make Our Elections About Being Against Trump’
As Democrats position themselves for the 2020 presidential election, one name is mentioned again and again: Cory Booker. Before becoming New Jersey’s first black U.S. senator, in 2013, Booker was the mayor of Newark for a controversial six years. As mayor, he earned national attention for his crusading style and daring stunts—at one point he saved a woman from a burning building—but was criticized by some constituents for his neoliberal approach to policy, particularly his embrace of charter schools. In 2016, he was a contender to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate. Since then, he has taken a series of very public stands against Donald Trump’s administration, including his unprecedented testimony against Trump’s nominee for attorney general, his colleague Jeff Sessions. He is a vegan and an ardent Trekkie.
This interview has been shortened and edited for clarity.
Julia Ioffe: First question: Are you running?
Cory Booker: Every morning I’m trying to get as much exercise as possible. I’m more biking.
JI: Spinning?
My chief of staff has the Peloton bike, but you have to have special shoes to do it. I have a bike that has
