January 6 Committee: Empty Political Theater

It takes only a few minutes to walk from the Capitol to the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, D.C. When it comes to perspectives on January 6, 2021, however, the two buildings might as well be on different planets.

That was the big takeaway from Thursday’s meeting of the House January 6 committee. Or at least, it would have been the big takeaway if the committee had permitted cross-examination, alternative perspectives, and adversarial debate — the hallmarks of a real fact-finding process. Alas, the committee is an exercise in political theater, with members all handpicked by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the proceedings choreographed by Democrats. It is nominally bipartisan, but not substantively so, for it brooks no diversity of opinion on the only issue that matters: Donald Trump. When it comes to January 6, he is the center of the storm, the commander who ordered his followers to attack the Capitol.

About the Author

Andrew C. McCarthy

Andrew C. McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency.

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It takes only a few minutes to walk from the Capitol to the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, D.C. When it comes to perspectives on January 6, 2021, however, the two buildings might as well be on different planets.

That was the big takeaway from Thursday’s meeting of the House January 6 committee. Or at least, it would have been the big takeaway if the committee had permitted cross-examination, alternative perspectives, and adversarial debate — the hallmarks of a real fact-finding process. Alas, the committee is an exercise in political theater, with members all handpicked by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the proceedings choreographed by Democrats. It is nominally bipartisan, but not substantively so, for it brooks no diversity of opinion on the only issue that matters: Donald Trump. When it comes to January 6, he is the center of the storm, the commander who ordered his followers to attack the Capitol.

About the Author

Andrew C. McCarthy

Andrew C. McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency.