The reporter broke into the press room with the excitement of who knows in the hands of a first. It was only the second day of the Senate trial for the impeachment from Donald Trump, and one of the most anticipated challenges to legality had already materialized. “We have the milk!”, The chronicler told one of his companions. It was like that. Republican Tom Cotton had been spotted introducing a glass of milk in the room during the third trial of a president in the history of the United States.
Milk, until that time, had been the subject of debate. Condemned to remain silent during marathon days, deprived of the company of any electronic gadget, it was rumored that, in addition to water, with or without gas, senators could also drink milk. But it took a brave to test the custodians of the customs of the Capitol. Interrogated by The Wall Street Journal, Senate historians pointed out that there is “anecdotal evidence” that, in recent years, legislators have been allowed to drink milk.
Coffee is prohibited. There is no discussion about that, unfortunately for some senators who have been believed to see succumbing to sleep in their desks. This is the case of Democrat Mark Warner, who remained for 20 minutes with his head lying on his right arm, covering his face with his hand. Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho, also seemed to fall asleep during the Democrats’ exposition, although a spokeswoman for the senator clarified that he was probably simply listening “with his eyes closed or narrowed,” something he said he usually does when he pays close attention.
Discarded stimulants, nine days of process have allowed senators to investigate clandestinely in a variety of tools to combat boredom. Republican Rand Paul could be seen doing a crossword puzzle and even a paper plane, and Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who aspires to face Trump in November, a reporter hunted her to an unidentified paper game.
Although they are forbidden to eat in the room, the consumption of sweets has been widely documented. Following a custom established in 1968, there is the “candy desk”, which currently occupies the Republican Pat Toomey. Conveniently located next to the central exit, it hides under its cover a reserve of goodies available to all senators. The right thing is to reach out when leaving the room, but these days sweets have circulated during the sessions. “If this continues, we will gain all five kilos,” said Republican Ron Johnson in The Wall Street Journal.
Several senators have been seen reading books. Republican Marsha Blackburn chose an eloquent title: How Trump haters are breaking the United Statesfrom Kim Strassel. “It offers good elements to understand this procedure,” he explained, and appealed to his status as a working mother to justify his ability to combine reading with another activity: “Busy moms are the best in multitasking.”
The arrival on Wednesday of question time was experienced as a liberation. But a moderate release. Used to show off in the interrogations of the positions appointed by the president that require the approval of the upper house, at the trial of impeachment Senators cannot even ask their questions themselves. They must deliver them to the young employees who are in charge of filling their glasses of water, and these are sent to Judge Roberts, who is the one who reads them. It does not even lend itself to a display of creativity in the wording: “Could the House of Representatives managers respond to what the White House lawyers just responded?” One wrote.
But the new dynamic released on Wednesday allows them, of course, to pass notes between them without fear of being reprimanded, because although during the expositions of the parties they were not allowed, not everyone gave up the adrenaline of the forbidden. As some senators also jumped into the bullfighter the ban on whispering, although every afternoon the arms sergeant reminds them that they must “remain silent under penalty of imprisonment.”
Among all the rebels, if one shines on its own merits is Mitt Romney. And not only because he is the Republican senator who has more explicitly expressed that he would be willing to challenge Trump and vote with the Democrats to get new witnesses to appear. It is that, in addition, this week has dared to enter the room not only with a glass of milk, but with a milk drink with cocoa and, above, bottled.
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