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Grace Segers

@Grace_Segers

12 Feb

VIBE CHECK IN THE SENATE CHAMBER
5pm to 6pm

Cassidy was pacing back and forth for the first half of the hour, fidgeting with his pen. He only stopped pacing when an aide came over to him to talk about his question. He sat for his question, as previously described.

Several GOP lawmakers weren't sitting. I didn't see Graham, Moran, or Barasso the whole hour. At one point, Whitehouse took a page out of Hawley's book and went to the visitors gallery. He sat there for about five minutes in the front row, leaning his elbows on the rail casually.

The mood was very restless. Several senators were standing and chatting at any given moment. I could also hear chatter whenever the cloakroom doors opened. Hawley and Blunt had an extended conversation towards the end of the hour, Blunt sitting in Scott's (FL) chair.

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Grace Segers

@Grace_Segers

12 Feb

@lindsaywise

MINI VIBE CHECK THREAD:
@lindsaywise and I wrote a few notes on Cassidy's question, which @lindseymcpherson helpfully compiled.

Sasse glanced at Cassidy as his question was read. Cassidy looked straight ahead. He had stopped pacing to listen to both sides answer his question.

When van der Veen disputed the facts of Cassidy's question and cast doubt on Tuberville's account, Tuberville sat twisting a pen in his hands, a big black binder on his lap with papers in it. When the Trump attorney finished, Tuberville heaved a big sigh. He closed the binder.

Cassidy, meanwhile, was surprisingly NOT taking notes during this time. Instead he fiddled with his pen, tapped it twice on his notepad, and flipped his tie as van der Veen answered.

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Grace Segers

@Grace_Segers

12 Feb

VIBE CHECK for the first 40 minutes of arguments from the president's attorneys on day four of the trial.

Republicans seem very receptive to the president's lawyers, unsurprisingly. Democrats? Not so much. Details below:

Only six Republicans were in the chamber during the prayer and pledge, and only roughly a dozen Democrats, meaning that they missed Chaplain Barry Black pray in his sonorous voice for "non-partisan patriotism" to infuse the Senate.

Hawley is back in the chamber. Warner and Markey had a brief chat when van der Veen first started talking, with Markey gesticulating in the gesturing to the dais. Tillis sat in Cassidy's seat for a while at the beginning and showed Sasse a paper. Sasse nodded and took notes.

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Grace Segers

@Grace_Segers

11 Feb

Vibe check for the final 30 minutes of today's proceedings:
The mood was pretty restless as senators waited for Neguse and Raskin to wrap up, particularly on the GOP side.

Cramer and Johnson continued to be incredibly chatty during the end of Neguse's remarks, with Cramer laughing frequently. At one point they were joined in their conversation by Sullivan. Ernst also looked over at the three of them at one point and nodded.

Barasso brought what looked like an article printout to Romney, who stored it under his legal pad on his desk. Paul was doing a more avant garde doodle over the Capitol watermark on his legal pad, using pen instead of pencil and drawing lines like a firework above the building.

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Grace Segers

@Grace_Segers

11 Feb

Impeachment manager Jamie Raskin is now highlighting Trump's tweets targeting MI Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and urging supporters to "liberate Michigan." His supporters stormed the MI Capitol two weeks later, and a kidnapping plot against Whitmer was later foiled.

Raskin says that the assault on the MI state capitoll was "effectively a state-level dress rehearsal for the siege on the U.S. Capitol...it was a preview of the coming insurrection."

Raskin is now outlining the horrifying plot to kidnap Whitmer and seek to begin a civil war. Trump did not defend Whitmer or criticize the extremists who wanted to kidnap her, Raskin said.

"Governor Whitmer has done a terrible job," Trump tweeted, demanding Whitmer thank him.

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Grace Segers

@Grace_Segers

11 Feb

Final vibe check of the evening:

Senators seemed worn out in the 7pm hour, drained from reliving 1/6 through dramatic videos. Their reactions were very muted, even to more disturbing videos.

Several senators stood, including many of the usual standing suspects from the last trial. Romney stood with his hands on his chair. Braun and Young also stood for a while. On the Democratic side, Gillibrand, Schatz, Warner, Bennet and Kaine stood up at one point or another.

There was no reaction on the Republican side when Castro said Trump left everyone in the Capitol for dead. Sasse squinted, meme-like, at the video of Trump's apology next to the riot video.

(This is the meme)

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