While former President Trump’s lawyers presented their arguments, only three GOP seats were vacant.
Yesterday, CNN’s Manu Raju reported that at one point during the presentation of the Democrats, he saw 15 empty GOP seats.
Today, almost all senators in the chamber paid a lot of attention. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy made many notes.
Republicans appeared much more vigilant today. Many took notes and Rand Paul, GOP senator, was particularly observant today. He smiled several times, including when footage was shown showing Democratic representative Maxine Waters challenging the outcome of the election.
He smiles and nods while video footage shows protests during the summer, and Michael van der Veen, a defense attorney for Trump, takes note of the Democratic reactions.
On the other side of the room, some Democrats could be seen shaking their heads and sometimes whispering in the presentation.
During the protest material, Senator Brian Schatz shook his head several times and leaned to whisper to Senator Richard Blumenthal. Sen. Bernie Sanders was fussing with his wrist and the cuff of his shirt when he was mentioned during the 2017 shooting in which Rep. Steve Scalise was involved. He was leaning back in his chair, making no notes.
When Republican Senator Susan Collins was quoted as saying about the threat against Eric Repal Eric Swalwell after the vote on Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Collins did not have much reaction. She kept leaning over her desk. She looks up and writes down some notes on a white law block.
When Trump’s other attorney, David Schoen, argued that he was being manipulated by House executives, Jamie Raskin, general manager of the House’s indictment, began to rage furiously in his notebook.
When Schoen mentions Trump representing Christ’s Golgotha, the Democrats in the chamber were surprised. Democratic senses Sheldon Whitehouse, Mazie Hirono, Kirsten Gillibrand and Joe Manchin all started talking, while Whitehouse said in disbelief, “Oh my God.”
During a series of Senator Elizabeth Warren clippings at the top, lawmakers in Massachusetts sat and fidgeted with her pen, turning her chair toward the screen. She nodded slightly as more tracks played.
While more Warren tracks were played, Senator Ed Markey said something rare to Schatz.
When an ad played with Senator Jon Tester, with him ‘damn right’, quite a few Democrats started giggling. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and sen. Chris Coons started whispering back and forth, something they continued to do during the rest of the montage.
It looks like Gillibrand is giggling when she appears in the montage. She tends to talk to Schatz when her track is being played.
Sen. Sherrod Brown pats Senator Bob Casey on the shoulder after a clip showing Casey.
As a montage of Hillary Clinton’s remarks, Senator Alex Padilla showed Warren several notes he had written. She nodded.
Sen. Patty Murray sent a note to Senate Leader Chuck Schumer sitting directly in front of her toward the end of the montage. Schumer nodded several times before turning around and handing it back to her.
In the end, there was a lot of noise in the room, especially from the Democratic side of the room. Klobuchar raises her hands slightly and says ‘Aw’ as if to say ‘it’s over’.