The impeachment managers’ presentations on Wednesday were riveting. It was hard to watch the videos from inside the Capitol during the insurrection and not have a reaction. Some Republican Senators were even moved.
Sen. Lankford (R-Okla.) was incredibly shaken up after that last video of Officer Hodges being crushed. I and other reporters in the chamber observed Lankford appearing to get teary-eyed. Sen. Daines (R-Mont.) was comforting him and was holding his arm.
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) February 10, 2021
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like everyone truly absorbed the enormity of what was before them. Some of the Republican senators actually didn’t seem interested at all. The Hill reports:
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was spotted tracing the watermark of the Capitol on a legal pad while Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) appeared to read a magazine article and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) gazed at a 2021 calendar. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was studying what appeared to be a map of Southeast Asia.
Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) was described by one reporter in the chamber as appearing to struggle to stay awake while Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) didn’t seem to pay much attention to Rep. Joe Neguse’s (D-Colo.) presentation.
Many Republicans Senators ostentatiously ignored the briefings and testimony today.
They rolled their eyes and issued snide tweets.
it probably beats looking down at their hands…https://t.co/Bt1FN8Y2hU via @YouTube
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) February 10, 2021
The Senators are all “jurors,” but in court, jurors wouldn’t be allowed to tune out the proceedings. Of course, jurors also aren’t supposed to make up their minds before the case even begins, but we know that’s the case for most of the GOP Senators. Take this comment from Florida Senator Rick Scott. After impeachment managers presented the new, chilling video yesterday, he told reporters, “This is a complete waste of time. It’s not doing anything to help American families, it’s not helping people get jobs, it’s not helping get the vaccine out … it’s vindictive.”
Fox News also apparently thinks this is a waste of time. While most TV networks are covering the trial, the Conservative network is picking and choosing which portions to show its audience.
I never thought I'd see Fox News actively downplay a terror attack at the U.S. Capitol. But that's where we are…
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 11, 2021
The network dipped out of the trial during the most compelling parts.
Fox will do anything to prevent its audience from seeing the truth. https://t.co/PCgWjsGleh
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) February 10, 2021
Fox News viewers instead heard Senator Lindsey Graham’s absurd takeaways from the day. He appeared on the channel to present this tone-deaf view (watch NBC News break down his remarks above).
The 'Not Guilty' vote is growing after today.
I think most Republicans found the presentation by the House Managers offensive and absurd.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 11, 2021
This morning, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough pointed out this won’t end well for these Republicans.
“Lindsey Graham claiming after watching cop killers terrorize members of the United States Senate, terrorize Capitol Hill police officers, terrorize Mike Pence’s family and call for their lynching. Lindsey Graham calling the presentation offensive. These are members engaged in doublespeak who have already convicted themselves in the eyes of history. There is nothing they can do now. They have convicted themselves as guilty in the eyes of history of being accessories to this seditious act by now trying to cover it up.”
*This piece contains opinion and analysis