Given the poisonous antipathies and tribal loyalties of Washington, it’s no surprise that President Trump’s supporters and opponents fall instantly into line whenever controversy erupts. Thus, as we note in our impeachment editorial, the president’s backers regard the transcript of his phone conversation with Ukraine’s leader as exculpatory and the whistleblower complaint as flimsy, tendentious hearsay. Trump’s detractors say the former is a smoking gun and the latter a brave and scrupulous effort to expose evident wrongdoing.

So far, so predictable.