Fox News’ chief judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano, explained that House Democrats are not only following the rules in their impeachment inquiry hearings, they are following rules set by Republicans.
Appearing on Fox & Friends yesterday, Napolitano presented the facts to Trump’s morning suck-ups.
NAPOLITANO: I read the House rules. And as frustrating as it may be to have these [impeachment] hearings going on behind closed doors, the hearings over which Congressman Schiff is presiding, they are consistent with the rules.
Cohost Brian Kilmeade tried to discredit Schiff anyway. “They can make up any of the rules they want,” Kilmeade suggested. Trump recently said Kilmeade has worked his way from a “seven” rating and “is getting close to ten territory.” Kilmeade undoubtedly inched his way a little closer in this segment.
Napolitano, on the other hand…
NAPOLITANO Well, they can’t change the rules, they follow the rules. And when were the rules written last? In January of 2015. And who signed them? [Republican Speaker of the House] John Boehner. And who enacted them? A Republican majority.
[…]
NAPOLITANO: The rules say that this level of inquiry, this initial level of inquiry, can be done in secret.
As Crooks and Liars’ Karoli Kuns noted, Napolitano pretty much destroyed the process arguments Republicans have been making. With the help of Fox News, of course.
Napolitano further explained that in both the Nixon and Clinton impeachment investigations, “witnesses were interviewed in secret and then presented in public.”
“Congressman Schiff, with a different set of rules, chooses to do the initial set of interviews in secret,” Napolitano continued, adding that “eventually there will be a public presentation of this at which lawyers for the president can cross-examine these people and challenge them.”
Not one of the three cohosts, including Ed Henry, Fox’s “chief national correspondent” moonlighting as an opinion host, said a word. Instead of noting that Republicans have been at best disingenuous in their criticism of the process, the three lickspittles sat silent and looked taken aback.
Napolitano continued. “So I get it, the Republicans are frustrated, and they wanted to make a point and they made their point, but this is just not the most effective way to show respect for what your colleagues are doing,” Napolitano said. He was referring to Wednesday's Republican stunt that disrupted the proceedings. Not mentioned here? The stunt also jeopardized national security.
Henry finally spoke up – on behalf of Republicans. “On the other hand, the Republicans might have made their point though,” Henry said. He cited a Washington Post report suggesting that because of the stunt, Democrats have announced they are “opening up” the proceedings in mid-November. Henry “forgot” to note that The Post also reported, “Democrats have long been expected to shift to public hearings.”
“I know this is going to sound weird,” Napolitano said, “These are not the impeachment hearings. The impeachment hearings have to be held in public by the House Judiciary Committee. This is the initial interview of witnesses to see what they have to say, to determine whether or not they are even worthy of presenting evidence of impeachment.”
“And they will continue to go on and on and on until they find something on the president, right?” “not in the tank for Trump” cohost Ainsley Earhardt interrupted.
“Yes, that’s what police and prosecutors do,” Napolitano explained. “They come to a conclusion that the person is probably guilty and then they look for evidence to support or to negate that. That’s what Congressman Schiff is doing, and he’s following the rules—as frustrating as those rules are.”
Good on Fox for having Napolitano speak truth to toadies on Trump’s favorite morning show. But the network has already continued to allow other hosts to ignore and disregard its own legal expert.
Watch the truth Fox News will mostly forget below, from the October 24, 2019 Fox & Friends, via Crooks and Liars.