I would say the 44 absolutely know they are ignoring their duty to the country and their jobs but Republican voters storming the Capitol, killing a police officer, attacking and injuring 140 other police officers, generally just looting and rioting in the building that is the seat of our government while screaming about killing the VP, senators, and congressmen...well...that's just way too embarrassing for them to acknowledge. 

So, they just want to sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened. They know they are just inventing nonsense to avoid the topic. They don't care. If they admit that Trump had been inciting and encouraging this event not just in his speech on the 6th but for years then they too are accepting at least some guilt for going along with Trump. For repeating the lies that riled these people up. I think they really do not want to do that. 

These are Trump supporters in this video that was presented to open the trial yesterday. While this played many of the 44 pretended to be doing something else and did not watch this...