It was the most anticipated performance of the year. Must-see TV around the globe. Networks from the BBC to the CBC broadcasted it live. Bars in Washington opened early to show it on every screen.
No, this was not the World Cup or a major concert. It was former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Shortly after the hearing, President Trump’s personal lawyer faced the cameras to articulate his reaction to Comey’s statement. All I could think was “Let’s get ready to rumble.” Unfortunately, it’s not the WWE title at stake, but the credibility of our nation’s most esteemed institutions.
We have entered an era of governing by perception and litigating through theatrics. Yes, politics has always been fueled by perception. And Senate hearings have served as theater for decades from McCarthy to Anita Hill.
But to me, this is different. We are rapidly losing our ability to discern fact from fiction. Politicians and journalists alike are eschewing facts in favor of pushing a chosen narrative.
Surely there will be endless analysis offered about Comey’s testimony and Trump’s lawyer’s statement.
Did Comey’s admission that he leaked an unclassified memo to the press through a third party hurt his credibility? Did Comey’s assertion that President Trump was not under investigation in connection with the Russian involvement in the 2016 election vindicate the president? What does it mean that Trump did not live-tweet during the hearing? Who is telling the truth about Trump asking Comey for loyalty? Is it hurtful for Comey, who was once one of the highest law enforcement officers in the country, to say he believes Trump is a liar? Why didn’t Comey speak up or resign if he thought the Trump’s conduct was that questionable?
Today’s Senate hearing and Trump’s legal response produced a lot of questions, but the answers to them depending on whom you ask. White House allies will likely take the view that Comey is self-serving, disgruntled and lacks credibility. They will interpret Comey’s statements through that lens, except when latching on to the testimony that Trump is not under investigation, which will go undisputed.
Opponents of Trump will fixate on Comey’s statement that he believes Trump cannot be trusted and assert that Trump’s demand for Comey’s loyalty is exemplary of Trump’s strong-arm mentality.
And, what about the question of obstruction of justice? Trump supporters will point to the word “hope” and insist that there is no way to charge obstruction because Trump just told Comey that he “hopes,” rather than insist or demand, Comey let the Flynn investigation go. Opponents will say Comey felt pressured and the intent of the word “hope” was really a demand as evidenced by Trump’s firing of Comey.
If you are exhausted by all of this he-said-he-said, you are not alone. The public has been dragged into a real-life episode of “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” without commercial interruption. It’s time we stop treating the business of government like it’s a script for a television drama.
We will never learn the facts of any investigation as long as we are participating in a collective game of speculation and spin. The real meaty information is not even shared in public, but rather in closed Senate committee hearings. Yet, each side is so certain they know all the facts. The reality is all sides are drawing conclusions based on incomplete information.
A serious investigation into the possible interference of a foreign government into our elections is actually taking place. That is real. There is a special counsel. And there is a reason why everything he does is not on TV or Twitter every day.
Law enforcement cannot effectively do an investigation in the public eye. And the law does not and should not change with the winds of public opinion.
I urge everyone to stop the madness and allow Special Counsel Robert Mueller to do his job. The rest of the public theatrics are simply creating a political narrative aimed to benefit whatever side is spinning. Our country deserves real answers based on real facts from an independent investigation that is underway.
Capri Cafaro (@thehonorablecsc) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a former member of the Ohio State Senate, where she was the Senate minority leader. She is now an Executive in Residence at American University’s School of Public Affairs.
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