In Impeachment Trial, NC Sen. Burr Makes News With No Socks And Fidget Spinners

North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr doesn’t have a leading role in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. His main task for these day-long marathon sessions has been to sit at attention in the chamber for hours on end as information and evidence is presented.

Still, he has managed to make news for the strangest of reasons: Socks and fidget spinners.

On Tuesday, the opening day of the trial, the New York Times sent sketch artist Art Lien to document pivotal moments that would encapsulate all that happened in the third presidential impeachment trial in United States’ history.

What Lien captured that first day was a sockless Burr, his pant legs sketched midway up his calves, his black loafers on display next to his pale skin.

Burr promptly made the sketch his new Twitter profile picture.

Burr is known for proudly going sockless year-round, and once posted on Twitter: “I’m not opposed to socks, I just choose not to wear them.”

He often pokes fun at himself, in fact, for his bare feet.

On Thursday, Burr made news again by supplying his Republican Senate colleagues with something to help them pass the time during a trial when they are not allowed to bring in electronic devices (no phones!): Fidget spinners.

Burr hosted the week’s Senate GOP lunch, and in addition to providing a Carolina cookout, he gave attendees fidget toys that included the spinners and stress balls.

Turns out that just sitting quietly is more difficult than some senators ever imagined, and Burr was just trying to help.