GOP congressmen humiliate themselves with unhinged ranting at Mueller report hearing

The House Judiciary Committee on Monday held the first of a series of hearings to examine the findings of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report in order to determine if any further action, including an impeachment inquiry, is needed.

But the Republican members of the Judiciary Committee chose to spend their time during the hearing delivering petulant, conspiratorial rants instead of taking the hearing seriously or asking any questions that might be relevant to the facts of Mueller’s report.

Most of the Republicans’ childish comments were directed at John Dean, who served as White House counsel to former President Richard Nixon. Dean was brought into the hearing to put Trump’s alleged obstruction of justice into historical context, given that Dean pleaded guilty to helping Nixon obstruct justice during the Watergate investigation.

One especially ridiculous moment came from sycophantic Trump supporter Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who listed off a series of tweets that Dean had posted in the past.

The tweets were not at all flattering to Trump. In the tweets, Dean accused Trump of committing a “massive cover-up of his criminal behavior,” said he was “incapable of accomplishing anything,” and came up with a series of nicknames for Trump that included “deranged Don,” “Deadbeat Don,” and “demagogue Don.”

After rattling off a long list of Trump’s supposed accomplishments in office, Jordan asked Dean: “So I’m just wondering, what were you thinking about when you said [Trump] is ‘incapable of accomplishing anything’?”

Dean’s response put Jordan in his place and made the entire hearing room burst into laughter.

“I think that under the parliamentary rules of the House, I’m refrained from addressing a full answer to your question,” Dean said.

Dean was referring to the fact that ahead of the hearing, the top Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee tried to argue that it was against the rules for committee Democrats or witnesses to call Trump a liar or to claim that he was being deliberately dishonest — even though Trump’s habitual lying is a well-documented fact.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) — yet another Trump sycophant in the House who has said his job in Congress is to protect Trump — also made a fool of himself.

As part of a long and loud rant, Gaetz asked Dean why he had compared both Trump and George W. Bush to Nixon, who was forced to resign in disgrace thanks to his obstruction surrounding the Watergate investigation.

“Throughout history, you accuse presidents of acting like Richard Nixon, and you make money off it,” Gaetz said to Dean.

“Not all presidents, no,” Dean replied. “Those who do act like him, I point it out.”

That drew loud laughter from the audience.

Gaetz went on to suggest that House Democrats were simply trying to relitigate the past by bringing in Dean to testify at Monday’s hearing.

“We’re here reopening the impeachment inquiry potentially into Richard Nixon, sort of playing out our own version of ‘That ’70s Show,'” Gaetz said in an extended attempt to dress Dean down.

Dean tried to get a word in, but Gaetz continued ranting about his favorite debunked Fox News conspiracy theories on how the Mueller investigation was started, and falsely suggested that the FBI was trying to take down Trump.

After Gaetz finished with his raving, Dean delivered a perfect comeback.

“That was a speech,” Dean told Gaetz. “I don’t believe I can respond to it, it’s not sufficient time.”

Again, the audience laughed.

Indeed, laughter is the only legitimate response to the behavior of the Republicans on the committee.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.