Jake Tapper Smashes Senate Republicans for Tuning Out Impeachment Trial: ‘It’s Real Easy to Be Defiant When No One’s Looking’

Jake Tapper and his impeachment trial co-hosts on CNN are calling out Republicans who are tuning out on former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.

During the trial’s first recess on Wednesday, Tapper and colleagues Dana Bash and Abby Phillip blasted GOP senators who are ignoring the proceedings.

“Some of them are explicitly not listening,” Phillip said. “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. And I think that should really be highlighted, because this is a really important moment.”

Phillip argued that some in the chamber are “complicit” in the very same case being argued by the House impeachment managers. Tapper, specifically, referenced three legislators to whom that would apply — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO).

The CNN anchor further pointed out that Graham’s false claims his correspondence with Georgia election officials moved those officials to record the subsequent call between Trump and Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger — in which the former president leaned on the election official to “find” more votes for him. That piece of evidence would not exist without Graham, Tapper contends.

“In many ways, Donald Trump has Lindsey Graham to thank for this prosecution,” Tapper said.

The CNN anchor went on to explain that due to an agreement reached by Senate leadership of both parties, there are no cameras capturing reactions of the senators, there is only a courtroom sketch artist.

“So we don’t see them with their feet up on the desk and reading the comic books,” Bash said.

“My only point is that they’re really tough and defiant about the fact that they’re not participating, except that they won’t allow cameras there to show that,” Tapper said. “It’s real easy to be defiant when no one’s looking.”

Watch above, via CNN.