The political arena is no stranger to grandstanding, but Adam Schiff’s latest outburst shows what’s happens when you get high on your own supply. In the wake of news that DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith is moving to drop charges against Donald Trump—citing longstanding Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinions about the non-prosecutability of a sitting president—Schiff has erupted with his characteristic melodrama. His complaints target the Biden administration and the justice system for failing to deliver the verdict he has long sought. But as is often the case with Schiff, his narrative omits some critical details.
Consider the January 6th committee’s refusal to cooperate fully with the DOJ. For months, this supposedly impartial body held back testimony and information, claiming to protect its work. But what was there to protect? The DOJ, not Congress, was the only entity empowered to pursue legal action. The answer becomes clear when you assess the committee’s priorities: ego and spectacle. Schiff, alongside Liz Cheney, Bennie Thompson, Adam Kinzinger, and others, relished the spotlight, crafting a highly theatrical report aimed at influencing elections and winning media accolades. While their ambitions temporarily succeeded in the public relations realm, their tactics wreaked havoc on the legal timeline.
Remember those hearings, staged with the help of Hollywood producers to maximize drama? Taxpayer dollars funded this production, while the committee’s members actively withheld evidence, shaping a narrative rather than supporting the DOJ’s legal efforts. This delay gave Jack Smith a late start—he wasn’t appointed until November 2022—and forced his hand into pursuing an accelerated legal process, a risky endeavor at best. When Trump secured victory in the 2024 election, it was game over for Smith’s case.
The Justice Dept and the court system failed to uphold the principle that no one is above the law.
DOJ by neglecting to promptly investigate the events of Jan 6, and the courts by willfully delaying progress of the case and providing immunity.
The public deserved better.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 25, 2024
The libs over at Blue Sky aren’t doing so hot either.
Jack Smith failed.
Merrill Garland didn’t even try.
Schumer is gonna go back to writing sternly worded letters.
January 6, 2021 — Trump insurrection
November 18, 2022 — Jack Smith appointed special counsel
22 months went by and DOJ sat and waitedTWENTY TWO MONTHS of caution, complacency, and cowardice — and they set Smith and his team up to fail
— Tristan Snell (@tristansnell.bsky.social) November 25, 2024 at 7:58 PM
