Nancy Pelosi

The mace brooch, worn for the impeachment vote on December 18, 2019 Nancy Pelosi presided over the House vote on Donald Trump's first impeachment dressed in black, with a large gold brooch modeled on the Mace of the House of Representatives: an eagle on a silver globe above 13 bundled rods for the original colonies. Because the mace stands for the chamber's legislative authority, the pin put the institution, rather than the Speaker, at the center of the day. The House approved both articles. At the second impeachment, in January 2021, she was not seen wearing it, a reminder that a signal like this works because it is used sparingly.