The Capitol riot hearings are farcically partisan

Let’s get the boringly obvious out of the way. What happened in Washington on 6 January, 2021 was bad. Very bad. America, the world’s most powerful democracy, looked a horrible mess. Rioting is always wrong. Rioting on Capitol Hill on the day when power is meant to be peaceably transferred is anti-democratic and anti-conservative. Even if you believe the presidential election of 2020 election was rigged, as many ardent Trump supporters do, it is never acceptable to smash up federal property. To target America’s most important building is especially egregious. It doesn’t matter how angry you are.

Obvious point two: from the election in November to January, Donald Trump behaved irresponsibly, dangerously and stupidly. Never mind if he sincerely believed a second term was stolen from him. In 1960, Richard Nixon had very good reasons to think that ballot-stuffing in Chicago meant he lost ever so narrowly to John F.