Donald Trump is having the worst night ever
Ahead of tonight’s first January 6th public hearing, I warned all of you that these hearings are not for you. Yes, of course you should watch – and most or all of you did. But you were not the intended audience. You already know Donald Trump is guilty.
These public hearings are aimed at convincing the average nonpartisan American in the middle that Trump intentionally incited and encouraged this domestic terrorist attack, and that Trump’s Republican Party either plotted with him on it or failed to hold him accountable.
In that sense, tonight’s initial public hearing was an utterly terrible night for Donald Trump. Most of what was “revealed” during tonight’s hearing wasn’t new information. But it was new information for most of the people watching, because average Americans haven’t been paying close attention to the drip-drip about this scandal – until now.
No one will magically fall through a trap door tomorrow as a result of these hearings. Donald Trump will not be arrested tomorrow, or next week. These hearings are about moving the needle, influencing public opinion, driving turnout in the midterms, and boosting public support for Trump’s criminal prosecution.
A good way to measure the success of these hearings will be whether the Democrats climb by three points or more in midterm polling after these hearings are complete. These hearings aren’t simply about getting Democrats elected. They’re about educating and empowering the public. But if the public begins incrementally turning against Trump’s Republican Party after these hearings, it’ll suggest that the hearings got their message across. Three points can easily be the difference in the midterms. So let’s see where these hearings get us.
