Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey issued sharp criticism of the Democratic Party during an interview released Monday, arguing that the party has “failed” and made “terrible mistakes” while calling for a renewed focus on the American people, as reported by The Independent Journal Review.

Booker’s comments were made during an appearance on The New York Times Opinion, according to Fox News.

Booker, who previously delivered a record-breaking 25-hour speech opposing President Donald Trump, said the party needs a generational shift and a broader discussion about its future.

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Speaking with Times columnist David Leonhardt, Booker said:

“And in the Democratic Party, I want to have a very tough conversation. I want it to be a competition of ideas about what our party is going to look like. I’m one of those people who’s saying our party has failed. They’ve made terrible mistakes. I want us to emerge in this moment not focusing on party but refocusing on people.”

He cited his family’s long history with the Democratic Party as context for his comments. Booker said his grandfather worked to turn several Detroit districts blue during the Franklin Roosevelt era. He credited Roosevelt’s agenda with connecting the party to working Americans.

“This was going to be the nation where working people would have dignity at work, would be able to afford a home, would be able to afford to raise their children and give them a better life,” Booker said.

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Booker also discussed his father’s experience during the civil rights era and how fair hiring practices allowed him to advance at IBM. “If you create a fair playing field, people get on that field and compete,” Booker said.

He then described how his father viewed the opportunities his children had growing up in New Jersey.

“And next thing you know, my father would look at my brother and me growing up in a suburban home in New Jersey and say: Boy, don’t you dare walk around this house like you hit a triple. You were born on third base. But that’s the dream for every generation. And the Democratic Party has failed in my generation,” he said.

Booker also pointed to what he sees as the party’s shortcomings in reaching younger voters. He described differences in how political communication works today compared to traditional media outlets.

“I basically said to my team: My fellow Democrats, you guys are running to go do MSNBC — and I love my MSNBC — but that only got 100,000 views. I can show you on my platforms that one video of mine can get more than the top-rated views on MSNBC. So we’re in a different era. That’s an important point,” he said.

Booker’s remarks called for the party to reassess its direction, increase engagement with younger voters, and place greater emphasis on the needs of working Americans.

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