Senators were 'openly laughing' at Trump lawyers' fight video: reporter

During Donald Trump's impeachment trial this Friday, his defense played a video montage of various Democratic politicians using the word "fight" in their rhetoric over the past few years. The video was widely panned as being a desperate attempt to equate Trump's inflammatory rhetoric in the lead-up to the Capitol attack to that of Democrats, who were clearly using the word "fight" in the metaphorical sense in the defense's video.

According to White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, both Democrats and Republicans had a hard time taking the video seriously.

"Out of the Senate chamber and my goodness that was something to witness. Senators (Dems and GOP) were louder than I have ever heard them -- talking and at times openly laughing -- during that long video played by David Schoen of Democrats, reporters & commentators saying 'fight,'" she tweeted.

Even Republican Tom Cotton of Arkansas apparently had a hard time keeping a straight face.

"During the spliced video featuring Sen Warren for a long while, Senator Tom Cotton in particular was laughing and shaking his head," she wrote. "Many Democrats were exchanging troubled looks including Sen Schumer who looked particularly troubled but also laughed and shook his head at times."

Mitch McConnell's take on the video was a little less clear.

"One person who was not laughing or reacting to the Trump lawyers' extended video of Dems and reporters? Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He sat stone-faced, legs crossed as the video was played. No laughing, no whispering, no looking around."