Reality Would Like A Word

Yesterday's hearing showed the Jan. 6 Committee methodically doing the hard work of proving the elements of a criminal conspiracy. They're showing that Donald Trump knew he lost and pushed forward anyway. @NormEisen, @FredWertheimer & I explain in @CNN. https://t.co/hHOSQsKQ0g

— Noah Bookbinder (@NoahBookbinder) June 14, 2022

Except none of it was testimony (a large part was statements by Congresspersons), or subject to cross-examination and the rules of evidence.

It is creating a narrative, which helps in the court of public opinion. And any criminal case brought against Trump will be fought in the court of public opinion, too.

Which is what I think Merrick Garland means:

Garland: I can assure that the January 6th prosecutors are watching all the hearings pic.twitter.com/XWq815kdOP

— Acyn (@Acyn) June 13, 2022

What story to tell in a court of law, is what the DOJ is watching. But a criminal trial is not a TeeVee presentation or a Congressional hearing. The “hard work of proving the elements of a criminal conspiracy” hasn’t even begun yet. That can only be done, and only matters, in a court of law. The DOJ may be studying what story to tell; how they tell is another matter entirely.

And we ain’t there yet.