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Posted On: 06/30/2022 7:26:34 PM
Post# of 124485
Cliffhangers and villains
Each hearing has saved a surprise for the end. Last Thursday’s, for example, ended with the revelations that six members of Congress had sought presidential pardons. On Tuesday it was screenshots, presented by Representative Liz Cheney, of messages presumably from supporters of Mr. Trump to witnesses, insinuating that Mr. Trump was watching and “does read transcripts” and “knows you’re loyal.” They showed possible witness tampering and potential obstruction of justice.
The hearings have very gradually introduced villains, first focusing on Mr. Trump, then on legal helpers for his attempted coup, John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark. On Tuesday we met a fourth, Mr. Meadows. That is part of how the committee has been so shrewd; it has slowly expanded the cast of characters.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that the hearings seem to be having an impact. That is what polls suggest: In one, three-quarters of voters had heard or read about the investigation, and 60 percent supported it, including a third of Republicans. In another, 58 percent of Americans believed that the former president should be charged with crimes related to his actions on and before Jan. 6. That’s up six percentage points from before the hearings started, and includes almost 20 percent of Republicans.
Perhaps it’s because the hearings have captured the spirit of the moment. Just as the Watergate hearings, the 9/11 Commission hearings and other congressional proceedings were artifacts of their time, these hearings have been structured to fit neatly into our streaming era. Think of it as TikTok Watergate. Ms. Hutchinson just became the face of it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/29/opinion/ca...ittee.html
Each hearing has saved a surprise for the end. Last Thursday’s, for example, ended with the revelations that six members of Congress had sought presidential pardons. On Tuesday it was screenshots, presented by Representative Liz Cheney, of messages presumably from supporters of Mr. Trump to witnesses, insinuating that Mr. Trump was watching and “does read transcripts” and “knows you’re loyal.” They showed possible witness tampering and potential obstruction of justice.
The hearings have very gradually introduced villains, first focusing on Mr. Trump, then on legal helpers for his attempted coup, John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark. On Tuesday we met a fourth, Mr. Meadows. That is part of how the committee has been so shrewd; it has slowly expanded the cast of characters.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that the hearings seem to be having an impact. That is what polls suggest: In one, three-quarters of voters had heard or read about the investigation, and 60 percent supported it, including a third of Republicans. In another, 58 percent of Americans believed that the former president should be charged with crimes related to his actions on and before Jan. 6. That’s up six percentage points from before the hearings started, and includes almost 20 percent of Republicans.
Perhaps it’s because the hearings have captured the spirit of the moment. Just as the Watergate hearings, the 9/11 Commission hearings and other congressional proceedings were artifacts of their time, these hearings have been structured to fit neatly into our streaming era. Think of it as TikTok Watergate. Ms. Hutchinson just became the face of it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/29/opinion/ca...ittee.html
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