With Democrats firmly in control of both houses of Congress by large margins beginning in January, the investigations are coming. Subpoenas will fly, hearings will be held, court battles will be fought, and pardons dangled or issued as the Trump administration tries to resist this. Republicans in Congress, with diminished presence on the committees, will have little power to stop this, but they will be tempted to organize as Trump’s defense team.
The defensive playbook, used and refined for years now by both parties, is a familiar one. Attack the hearings as a witch hunt. Refuse to cooperate with the majority’s demands for documents and witnesses. Complain that the evidence is being distorted and taken out of context. Give speeches about how the other side did this too. Conduct sympathetic cross-examinations. Launch off-topic ad hominem attacks against the majority.
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