Washington: Adam Schiff was still speaking about witnesses, documents, future presidents and the impeachment of President Donald Trump. He’d said it all before, but five hours into the Senate trial Tuesday, Schiff, the lead prosecutor, was saying it again.
Suddenly, from the Republican side, Sen. James Risch of Idaho raised his left hand so Schiff could see it and pointed, repeatedly, to his wristwatch. Time’s up, Risch signaled. He was right: It was time to vote, and perhaps as important it would soon be time for dinner. Schiff yielded, and the senators rose to vote and then quietly left the chamber. “The subject matter is something we’ve all heard,” Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., told reporters.
The understatement helps explain what seemed to be a widespread struggle with attention late Tuesday as arguments in the abuse and obstruction trial stretched into the late evening. It’s a challenge anyone who’s served on a jury might understand, but senators try not to complain, given the enormous political stakes of the trial during the 2020 election year.