Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) told New York magazine that it would be “irresponsible” of him not to consider a 2020 presidential run.
"Of course the presidency will be something I consider. It would be irresponsible not to," he said in the glowing profile that was published Wednesday.
He also said that those who questioned his earnest sincerity were “frustrating.”
“It’s frustrating to me that people don’t think you can be earnest and sincere in this game anymore,” he lamented. “My closest friends say to me, ‘When I have conversations with people, they ask that question: ‘Is he for real?’ Which I don’t understand. ‘Is he real?’ ‘Is he for real?’ I don’t understand where that question really comes from.”
Booker received a lot of criticism last month when he made a big show of releasing committee classified documents related to Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s time as a lawyer in the George W. Bush White House.
"I understand the penalty comes with potential ousting from the Senate," Booker said at the time. "This is about the closest I'll probably ever have in my life to an ‘I am Spartacus' moment."
However, the Washington Post later confirmed that the documents had already been cleared for release and the records representative was “surprised to learn about Senator Booker’s histrionics.” The documents also simply showed that Kavanaugh was against racial profiling in the aftermath of 9/11.
Booker was roundly mocked for his theatrics, including by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Booker informed a Wall Street Journal reporter who tried to question him about the incident that he was “violating the Constitution” by attempting to question him while he was on the way to a vote.
Later in the interview, Booker did address his occasional outbursts of temper and emotion in Senate hearings, including when he described crying “tears of rage” over President Trump reportedly referring to some countries as “s***hole countries.”
“The soldier that runs out on a field and saves somebody — he’s not courageous because he’s strong and can carry the guy,” Booker explained. “It’s because he risks himself, exposes himself. I think we’re becoming a society where people, especially men, can’t be vulnerable.”
“I don’t hide my emotions,” he emphasized. “I just don’t. I began saying in my speeches — I used to say it privately first, and I’d hear moans or groans — ‘If this country hasn’t broken your heart, you don’t love her enough.’ ”