There’s a growing media narrative that Senate Republicans were not paying attention and leaving early during the impeachment trial:

Many senators left the impeachment trial proceedings to stretch and walk around after hours of being confined in the Senate chamber.@JohnBerman: "Those cushy six-year terms which apparently aren't long enough for some to spare a few minutes to sit down."https://t.co/pxyDaDXB95 pic.twitter.com/883axHs3Hx — New Day (@NewDay) January 23, 2020

The technical term for this is, BULLS*T. Here’s Dem Sen. Jeff Merkley with a defense of his Republican colleagues:

Let's just put this issue to bed now, about Senate Rs walking out of trial sessions. This is from @JeffMerkley to @andersoncooper:

"They are present. They are listening. I don't think you could distinguish between the 2 sides of the room, if you were looking at it. … " 1/2 — Paul Kane (@pkcapitol) January 23, 2020

"… on both sides you will periodically see a number of people standing up, going to the back of the room, stretching … a little bit of note passing, a little bit of eating some food out of their desks … I think the Rs are definitely paying attention." 2/2 — Paul Kane (@pkcapitol) January 23, 2020

Even Jerry Nadler got up for a break:

Also, I'll be writing tomorrow on in-the-room dynamics, how people move around, etc. Yes, mid-afternoon a bunch of Rs got up & walked around, but later in day Rs & Ds freely floated in/out of cloakrooms. Even Nadler was gone from the managers' table for a while. https://t.co/OlpgnIKgHt — Paul Kane (@pkcapitol) January 23, 2020

And as we told you earlier, Sen. Dianne Feinstein left the earliest with, at one point, 33 Senators missing:

SCOOP: Here are the winners from today's impeachment trial: Left the earliest: Feinstein

Stood the most: Bennet

Most talkative pair: Tillis & Young

Ate most candy: Merkley

Smiled the most: Van Hollen

Frowned the most: Sanders BONUS: Most empty seats at the same time: 33 — Jake Turx (@JakeTurx) January 23, 2020

Hardest hit by all of this? True conservative Jennifer Rubin who is STILL trying to make this an issue:

Press: Keep a stop watch on senators today. Who leaves for who long and how many times. Knowing they are being monitored might even get them to sit there and listen. Also please report as to who is doing a crossword puzzle or otherwise snubbing the proceedings. This is news. — Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) January 23, 2020

Just stop, please.

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