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.

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. 

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.

The network dipped out of the trial during the most compelling parts.

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).

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