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Sen. Mitt Romney downs BYU chocolate milk as impeachment trial drags on

(Art Lien | The New York Times) Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, momentarily breaks Senate rules by entering the chamber with a bottle of chocolate milk during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. Romney promptly exited and returned with the milk in a glass.

Washington • During the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, senators are allowed to drink only two things: water or milk.

Sen. Mitt Romney spiced things up a bit on Tuesday by bringing his own chocolate milk to consume.

Romney, R-Utah, brought a bottle of chocolate milk — from the BYU Creamery, for the record — into the Senate chamber just before the impeachment trial resumed Tuesday, but was quickly reminded that his beverage of choice needed to be poured into a glass. A Senate page later brought him his brown milk and a water chaser.

Romney is, of course, a huge fan of hot dogs (it’s his “favorite meat”). And Twinkies.

When Romney’s wife, Ann, was once asked to divulge something bad the senator likes, she dished the dirt: chocolate milk.

Romney, sketched

Since photos are mainly banned in the Senate chambers during the impeachment trial, several news outlets have hired sketch artists to draw the scene for Americans who aren't glued to their TV sets.

On Monday night, Romney finally got his moment under the colored pencil when a CNN-hired artist portrayed him sitting at his desk. The puff of gray hair on his temples was a dead giveaway. His chocolate milk affection earned him another drawing on Tuesday as well.

Chick-Fil-A anyone?

Romney hosted the dinner for his fellow GOP senators Monday night and brought a buffet of Chick-Fil-A sandwiches. It wasn’t clear if he sprang for the deluxe version.

Utah’s members of Congress often order takeout food from Cafe Rio when hosting events at the Capitol to bring a little home state love to the Capitol. Romney’s office promised that when the senator was hosting a lunch for chiefs of staff on the Capitol Hill later this week, they would have a taco bar.

Romney’s tie to Trump’s lawyer

In 2008 and 2012, as Romney was seeking the presidency, Jay Sekulow served as an informal adviser and was the go-to guy for Romney’s campaigns to push out when questions about his faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came up.

Sekulow, as chief counsel to the American Center for Law & Justice, a conservative Christian group, was a key voice aimed at smoothing over concerns with evangelical voters.

Now, Sekulow is among Trump’s hand-picked lawyers defending the president, and Romney is one of very few Republicans who say they are keeping an open mind about the impeachment.