Stephen Colbert tears into Republican senators failing to pay attention at impeachment trial

Some GOP senators apparently paid scant attention during the proceedings

Clémence Michallon
New York City
Thursday 11 February 2021 22:20 GMT
Stephen Colbert tears into GOP senators at impeachment trial

Stephen Colbert delivered a blistering segment on day two of Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, condemning Republican senators who appeared to pay scant attention to the proceedings.

On Wednesday's instalment of his Late Show, the host referenced media reports detailing GOP senators' failure to focus. He referenced a Mediaite story about a CNN segment in which journalist Abby Phillip said of the senators: “Some of them are explicitly not listening.

“Feet up on desks, they’re reading books, they’re reading briefing papers on other topics. And they’re doing it intentionally because I guess it gives them plausible deniability with their supporters, that they weren’t even going to take in the information that’s coming to them today.”

Read more: Impeachment trial: Disturbing new video shows Mitt Romney fleeing and Proud Boys smashing into Capitol

Another report by The Hill noted of GOP senators: "Several whispered among themselves, while others chewed gum, doodled or struggled to stay awake."

On his show, Colbert mused that the senators must have been reading about "other, more interesting topics [than the proceedings", "like: how does history tend to remember cowardly, fascist-enabling pieces of garbage?"

The host also extended words of support for House impeachment managers, saying he feels for them because "not only did they witness the Capitol under attack by a MAGA-supporting mob on 6 January, but also because today they had to present evidence and bear personal witness to that attack in front of Republican senators desperately trying to ignore that truth, and desperately trying to treat it like it was a waste of time."

"But it's not a waste of time," he added. "Because whether or not the ex-president is impeached, or whether or not they vote to do the right thing to keep him from holding office again, it is important that one time, as a nation, we look this straight in the face."

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