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With Friends Like This

Sen. Cory Booker joins the Grounded Podcast, despite how much he dislikes Jon Tester. Scroll to the end for ways to help people impacted by the horrific flooding in Texas.
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“I want to set the record straight and say, for the record for the rest of the history of this country going forward, that I want it to be known that I do not like Jon Tester.”

Those were the opening words of Sen. Cory Booker’s farewell speech to former Sen. Jon Tester on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

“Now, literally, he invited me to play basketball with him once, and I played some rough and tumble hoops before— there's a court here on the Senate grounds, and what he did to me on that basketball court is illegal in six states,” Booker continued.

The two have shared many antics over the years, including the time they literally put a hole in a wall while shooting social media videos to promote their work (the outtakes are gold).

Everyone’s favorite Senate bromance reunited for this lively episode of Grounded, where the banter continued for more than an hour. But that’s nothing for the senator delivered a record-breaking speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate that lasted 25 hours 5 minutes. We went on to tackle the megabill just signed into law by President Trump, the vibe in the U.S. Senate, Booker’s record-breaking filibuster, and what it will take to win as a Democrat in 2026. Booker talks about his efforts to be more creative when it comes to good trouble and what everyone can do to raise awareness. Plus, he tries to convince us to turn Grounded in a lifestyle show.

Booker concluded his Dec. 10 floor speech with this: “I've served with a lot of people in a lot of levels of government. Jon Tester is a man and one of the greatest ones I've known. I do not like Jon Tester, but God, I love the man.”

After having this conversation, it’s apparent that feeling is mutual.

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We want to also make sure to include a list of ways you can help the people of Texas after the horrific floods that killed more than 100 people, including dozens of young campers who were swept away from an all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River. It’s hard to even fathom the pain and grief being felt by so many in Texas and beyond as we continue to wait for news about people still unaccounted for. The accounts are every parent’s worst nightmare. It’s easy to feel helpless when news like this consumes us, but there are ways to help the incredible first responders and community organizations on scene.

Convoy of Hope x Sharon McMahon

Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country

TEXSAR

Salvation Army Kerrville

World Central Kitchen

Austin Pets Alive!

Vetted GoFundMe pages

American Red Cross

Texas Children’s Central Texas Hope Fund

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