Muskogee High School Student, Former Senate Page Discusses Impeachment Experience

On this day last year, Blake Simmons was not in school. He was in the U.S. Capitol, reporting for duty as a page for Senator Jim Inhofe. Not only was Simmons one of only 30 pages selected from across the country, he also got to experience history firsthand.

"Our very first day was I think the third or fourth day of President Trump's impeachment trial. So, my first impression of the Senate is very different than previous page's first impression," Simmons said. 

During the trial, Simmons’ duties included getting water and passing out documents to all the senators.

Just a year after Simmons and the rest of the pages were on the Capitol steps, rioters stormed the Capitol and posed on those same steps on January 6.

"It's obviously very personal for every American, but it's also personal to me because I worked there," Simmons added. 

Another impeachment trial is set to begin for former President Trump for inciting those riots.

"Any impeachment is very, very time consuming, and puts everything else the Senate is working on the back-burner. So, to see that happening again two years in a row is surprising to me," Simmons said.  

Simmons will be watching the trial and said he's confident in the country's leadership. 

"I'm sure us and other pages will be watching CSPAN very closely. To see something happen a year later right after we experienced it, and to see what different things they will do obviously because of COVID, will be very interesting to watch," Simmons said. 

Simmons’ time as a page got cut short due to the pandemic, but he hopes he'll be back at the Capitol one day as an elected official. He's working towards attending either the Naval Academy or WestPoint next fall.