Never mind which character you want to play, or reading off a script for their next cringey social media video, New Jersey senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker owe America, New Jersey and those they have disrespected a round of applause.
New Jersey deserves better than the cold silence of Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim. On Tuesday night, President Trump stood before Congress, honoring a child cancer survivor, vowing to protect women and families, and touting the arrest of dangerous criminal illegal aliens. These aren’t partisan talking points—they’re moments of basic humanity. Yet, our senators couldn’t bring themselves to clap. They owe us a round of applause, not for Trump, but to show they still feel what we feel.
During his Joint Address, Trump spotlighted 13-year-old DJ Daniel, a cancer survivor whose bravery moved Republicans to their feet. Democrats, including Booker and Kim, stayed seated, their silence a stark contrast to the chamber’s cheers. Was it policy disagreement?
Maybe.
But refusing to honor a child’s fight against cancer looks less like principle and more like pettiness. New Jerseyans—parents, survivors, fighters—deserve senators who can set aside politics for a moment of shared decency.
Then there was Trump’s pledge to dismantle migrant gangs and deport violent criminals, spotlighting victims like Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray, killed by illegal immigrants let loose under Biden’s watch. He signed the Laken Riley Act to detain such threats—hardly a radical move.
Booker and Kim, who’ve backed deporting dangerous offenders in the past, didn’t budge. Studies show immigrants commit fewer crimes overall, sure, but when Trump held up a signed order to protect communities, their refusal to clap felt like a snub to every family demanding safety. New Jersey isn’t asking for a border wall; we’re asking for acknowledgment that our lives matter.
And women’s rights? Trump’s framing—protecting families, not just pushing divisive culture wars—drew Republican applause. Democrats, including our senators, sat mute.
Booker’s called for protecting women before; Kim’s fought for community resources. Yet when Trump spoke of a “golden age” for American families, they offered nothing—not even a nod. If they disagree, fine. But show us you’re still in touch with the women and mothers of this state who want more than ideological standoffs.
This isn’t about Trump’s exaggerations—like claiming Biden’s the “worst president in history” or inflating migrant crime stats. It’s about Booker and Kim missing the forest for the trees.
They’ve raged against Trump’s cuts to New Jersey funding since January, threatening government shutdowns over his agenda. Fair enough—they’re fighters.
But Tuesday’s silence wasn’t resistance; it was detachment. When Rep. Al Green shouted and got hauled out, at least he showed passion. Our senators just fumed, offering critiques of “empty rhetoric” (Kim) and “no concrete plans” (Booker) while the chamber chanted “USA.”
New Jerseyans aren’t blind to Trump’s flaws. We get it—egg prices aren’t up, which is not his fault; they’re up 53% from avian flu, not open borders. But we’re not asking Booker and Kim to cheer tariffs or tax cuts. We’re asking for a sign they still connect with us—cancer families, crime victims, everyday women—not just their party’s grudge match.
A round of applause isn’t surrender; it’s humanity. Give us that, Senators. Prove you’re still here for us, not just against him. We’re waiting.
Editorial / Shore News Network