House wants Trump. Don’t count on it

Starting with the first time I covered the Jan. 6th hearings, I have consistently conceded the purpose of the hearings is to accumulate evidence for the purpose of indicting former President Donald J. Trump.

That is not the same as framing the former president. I wouldn’t have anything to do with that.

I also insist that Trump enjoys the same presumption of innocence as any other accused American. I know many of you don’t like that, but if you don’t believe in a just process, you are as bad as you believe the MAGA people to be.

As to the MAGA people, I believe most of them have not watched the hearings. They prefer to be ostriches, reminding me of a character in “The Wiz,” the Black version of “The Wizard of Oz,” who sings, “Don’t Bring Me No Bad News.”

On my scorecard, the committee has not connected the dots to demonstrate without question that Trump orchestrated the riot that engulfed Capitol Hill.

His critics say he said his supporters had to “fight” for their rights. Name a politician who hasn’t used the word “fight.” It is a chestnut and Trump used the word “peacefully” in asking his followers to “fight” for “rights.”

I am no Trump supporter. I oppose him and his warped view of American democracy. But I won’t let his warped view change my view of democracy, which demands fairness.

As usual, I am not quoting information coming from partisan members of the committee. I rely only on eyewitnesses and others testifying under oath.

While the committee has failed — so far — in my view to slap the handcuffs on Trump, it has settled the question of the 2020 election. Almost every member of Trump’s inner circle told him he lost fair and square, and that no amount of finagling around the edges would change the outcome. Attorney General Bill Barr told him that, in those words.

That he lost is beyond question. 

If you are an election denier, you are willfully dumb, just stupid. There’s no sugar coating it, and it explains why I oppose every candidate for office who can’t or won’t acknowledge the plain facts.

So that brings us to (probably) the last committee hearing on Thursday. It is said to be the last, but I am not convinced.

I am deeply disappointed we did not directly hear from the Secret Service and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who is complicit in most of Trump’s actions. 

The most dramatic moment Thursday was the committee’s decision to subpoena Trump to testify before the committee.

Spoiler: Trump is unlikely to comply. Under advice of attorney, of course.

The committee relied on a rehash of previously revealed information, or irrelevancies, such as footage of the riot. Irrelevant  because we know it happened, but showing it does not tie it to Trump.

There is no question that Trump took his own sweet time about calling for his supporters to abandon the Capitol — and maybe that is dereliction of duty. But footage of speaker Nancy Pelosi on the phone calling for help does nothing to advance the case against Trump. It is thrown in only for emotional reasons.

Another rehash, but dramatic, was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying only Trump could end the riot, but didn’t in a timely fashion. “He did not do his job.”

House GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told the president to call off the mob. Trump said these weren’t his people, as if they were an alien species instead of his adoring, mis-led acolytes.

McCarthy later said he told the president he bears some responsibility for what happened, and he said Trump agreed.

I am sure Trump would deny this.

I would love to hear from him. If he believes he did nothing wrong, he should come forward.