Jack Smith’s testimony raises a jarring question about the country

Former special counsel Jack Smith's public testimony raised a jarring question about the state of the country. The hearing, which should have been a sober accounting of the criminal investigations into President Donald Trump and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, devolved into a scripted political spectacle. Republicans offered prepared speeches and hostile questions that ignored Smith's prior testimony and often his presence altogether. They avoided discussing the substance of what Smith described as Trump's 'criminal scheme' to overturn the 2020 election, instead retreating into political grievances and attempts to impugn Smith's character. This spectacle raises a jarring question: are we still living in a reality rooted in objective facts, hard truths, and legitimate concerns about our republic? Or have we already succumbed to existing in a world where facts are elective, nuance is dead, and constitutional values are subordinated to political demands.