Work In Progress with Sophia Bush
Episode: Senator Cory Booker
Date: March 11, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode welcomes Senator Cory Booker for a candid and sweeping conversation about the crises facing American democracy, the inequality built into the economic and political system, and his vision for restoring hope and agency among Americans. Host Sophia Bush leads Booker through reflections on his upbringing and moral compass, his fight against government corruption, corporate consolidation, and injustice, and the urgent need for citizens—regardless of their position—to reclaim their power and create change. They discuss radical love, the real impacts of policy on Americans’ lives, the erosion of the middle class, and Booker's new book, Stand. The tone is impassioned, frank, humorous at times, and rooted in the belief that the “masterpiece/work in progress” tension applies to both individuals and the country itself.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Reflections on Childhood and Early Influences
[03:26–09:20]
- Sophia prompts Cory to recall his 10-year-old self on New Jersey playgrounds, exploring whether that child would recognize the person he's become.
- Booker shares childhood memories: idealistic, often breaking up playground fights, and striving for harmony.
- Recalls his “life’s most embarrassing moment” running for class president—freezing in his speech, but winning, and being encouraged by teachers to confront his fears through theater and public speaking.
- Emphasizes the continuity of his values: “that idealistic kid would be really proud of who I am today… still trying to bring folk together.” ([06:54])
- Lessons from his parents: “Life isn’t about the degrees you get. It’s about the service you give.” Booker describes moving to Newark and learning as much from that community as he hoped to give, calling it a “gift of humility.” ([10:04–13:01])
2. Community, Radical Love, and Standing Against Hate
[13:01–15:25]
- Sophia and Booker discuss the ICE raids in America, calling out the misplaced priorities resulting in harm to communities.
- Sophia: “The illusion of other, I think, is not only detrimental to the people we other, but it’s detrimental to us.” ([13:01])
- Booker shares how, on even his hardest days confronting cruelty and violence, he is sustained by “heroism” at the community level—neighbors organizing walks to school, mutual aid, “points of light illuminating even this wretched darkness.”
- “I let that source me and challenge me… if I see people willing to stand out in the bitter cold and blow their whistles to warn their neighbors, then I can stand on the Senate floor in a comfortable, heated chamber and fight like hell for the very same people.” ([15:25])
3. Why the System Feels Rigged and Why People Are Disillusioned
[18:15–21:38]
- Sophia voices frustration over the delayed realization among voters about the consequences of political cruelty and rule-breaking.
- The conversation moves to the "deal" that used to work for Americans—Booker explains the inter-generational decline in social mobility and economic security.
- “90% of American children in my dad’s generation did better than their parents. ... Now, for people born in the 80s, it was down to 50%. It’s even worse now... There’s a generation who just don’t think the deal is working.” ([19:31–21:38])
4. The Role of Tax Policy in Social Inequality
[26:41–30:55]
- Sophia: “Isn’t part of the reason the deal isn’t working because the most successful people in this country are no longer paying their fair share?” ([26:41])
- Booker agrees and elaborates:
- The “effective rate for the richest 1%... is way lower than the effective tax rate of the teacher in high school who’s married to a nurse. And that is fundamentally wrong.” ([27:12])
- Corporate taxes as a percentage of GDP are half what they were during the “golden era” of American growth.
- Sophia passionately calls out: “People should be paid a thriving wage… I pay more taxes than the President of the United States… The fact that billionaire families are writing off... fleets of yachts and not paying taxes... and your employees are on food stamps is ridiculous.” ([28:18])
- Booker unveils a forthcoming policy plan: households shouldn't pay taxes on their first $75,000 of earnings—“a new deal for the American worker.” ([30:55])
5. Corruption, Corporate Power, and Broken Democracy
[30:55–40:47]
- Booker identifies two major threats:
- The economic bargain is broken.
- Massive, “colossal corruption” through corporate PACs, dark money, and the outsize influence of billionaires in politics.
- “Of all the money spent to elect Trump... 10 human beings, multi-billionaires, accounted for 44% of that money…” ([34:11])
- Corporate consolidations hurt workers, reduce creative output in culture (reference to the Fox-Disney and Skydance-Paramount mergers), and increase prices for consumers.
- “We are living in a perversion of the free market that’s being controlled by the wealthiest who, when they get wealthy, change the rules so they can compound more wealth.” ([39:47])
6. Hope, Agency, and What Citizens Can Do
[45:14–52:19]
- Booker: “You begin to check out of the system… because the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing—you think, ‘I have no agency’...” ([45:33])
- Urges people to rediscover their power: “Remind people that they want you to be cynical. They want you to disengage. They want you to shut down. That the best thing you can do, even if it’s just one day going out to a protest, or taking content every day that educates people… Take action. That is your power.” ([50:30])
- Details the chain of small acts—his father’s experience buying a home, enabled by a single volunteer—that ultimately led to his own Senate career, illustrating how “every act of decency… echoes into the universe in ways that you don’t imagine.” ([52:19])
- Calls for legislative action: eliminate Citizens United, stop corporate PACs, block lawmakers from trading stocks, and “raise the floor” for working Americans through tax reform and other policies.
- “This is the most excited I’ve been because… your generation and my generation could do something worthy—redeem the dream of America.” ([54:35])
7. Booker's Book: Stand and Historical Inspiration
[56:08–57:59]
- Booker introduces his new book, Stand: “A whole bunch of stories to show you that in the worst, most awful times, there are ten virtues this country clung to…”
- The book aims to be both instructive and inspirational, laying out “the blueprints for how we beat back our worst instincts.”
- Sophia calls Stand “a joyful moment of political hope,” summarizing that the book distills historical wins into actionable blueprints for readers today. ([56:53])
8. Final Reflections & Work In Progress
[58:13–End]
- Sophia asks Booker his “work in progress” at this moment.
- Booker: “I actually see that we can create a tax code that overnight... We do not have to create a tax system that lets the wealthiest pay lower tax rates than working people. If we just shift that, all we got to do is reverse it… That’s my work in progress.” ([58:29])
- Light, personal closing: jokes about Sophia's Jersey Italian heritage and Booker’s own family roots.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On radical hope:
“Hope is not an external thing, it’s an internal decision. Hope is the act of conviction that despair won’t have the last word.”
— Senator Cory Booker ([52:19]) -
On the American Dream:
“We are living in a perversion of the free market that’s being controlled by the wealthiest who, when they get wealthy, change the rules so they can compound more wealth.”
— Senator Cory Booker ([39:47]) -
On community activism:
“Every act of decency, kindness, of love, of right, indignation and resistance echoes into the universe in ways you don’t imagine.”
— Senator Cory Booker ([52:19]) -
On courage in politics:
“The best thing you can do, even if it’s just one day going out to a protest… Take action. That is your power.”
— Senator Cory Booker ([50:30]) -
On rewriting the tax code:
“If you are an American, you should not pay any taxes on your first $75,000 of earning for your household. No taxes.”
— Senator Cory Booker ([30:55]) -
Sophia Bush's passion for economic justice:
“People should be paid a thriving wage… The fact that billionaire families are writing off... fleets of yachts and not paying taxes... and your employees are on food stamps is ridiculous..."
— Sophia Bush ([28:18])
Important Timestamps
- 03:26 — Sophia introduces Booker, asks about his 10-year-old self.
- 06:54 — Booker reflects on childhood, public speaking trauma, and school teachers' influence.
- 10:04 — Booker on his parents’ values and moving to Newark.
- 13:01 — Sophia and Booker discuss the illusion of “other”, ICE raids, and radical love.
- 15:25 — Booker finds hope in community heroism amid political cruelty.
- 27:12 — Booker on the inequity of current tax policy.
- 30:55 — Booker’s plan: no taxes on first $75K for households.
- 34:11 — Booker details billionaire influence on elections.
- 39:47 — Booker on corporate consolidation and free market perversion.
- 50:30 — Booker on the power of individual action.
- 52:19 — Story of Booker's family and the impact of small kindnesses.
- 56:08 — Booker describes his book, Stand, as a blueprint for virtue in dark times.
- 58:29 — Booker’s “work in progress”: reforming the tax code so working people benefit.
Tone & Style Notes
- Conversation is earnest, urgent, and conversational, balancing policy detail with moral and personal reflections.
- Both Sophia and Booker periodically mix gravity with humor and personal anecdotes, creating a highly relatable, emotionally rich dialogue.
- The episode is designed to inspire listeners to believe in their power, stay informed, and translate outrage into action—while also offering practical ideas for reform and bipartisan unity.
Overall:
This episode delivers a masterclass in connecting policy to principle, outlining both the challenges and the pathways to a renewed American project. Booker’s history, energy, and proposals combine with Sophia Bush’s passionate advocacy for justice and democracy, making for an empowering, highly relevant listen for anyone feeling disillusioned or overwhelmed by current events.