NEW YORK (AP) – As television programming goes, expectations were widespread that the Jan. 6 committee hearings would essentially be reruns. Instead, they have been much more.
The five sessions have revealed a storyteller’s eye, with focus, clarity, an understanding of how news is digested in modern media, and strong character development – even if former President Donald Trump’s allies suggest there aren’t enough actors.
The hearings are pausing for a break until next month, leaving Americans much to digest.
As seen during Trump’s impeachments, modern congressional hearings tend to produce more heat than light. That was part of why the Jan. 6 committee faced low expectations, along with the sense – 18 months after the insurrection, an event that played out on live television – that there may be little new to learn.
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy’s decision not to participate gave the committee a gift, the chance to craft hearings as a unicorn of sorts in today’s political age.