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Anytime Democrats in the House or Senate conduct public hearings, you can expect more theatrics than thoughtful exchanges, and more showboating than substance from the likes of House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and his merry band of carnival clowns.

Today’s House hearing on the federal response to the violent left-wing riots taking place in Democrat-run cities like Portland and Seattle was no different, as my RedState colleague Jen Van Laar reported earlier.

But while these show trials can be maddening to watch, they also provide an opportunity for Republicans to expose the duplicity and hypocrisy of Democrats on the issues they claim to want to get to the bottom of, as House Judiciary ranking member Jim Jordan (R-OH) masterfully did today after Nadler’s opening statement.

Attorney Gen. Bill Barr, too, went beast-mode during the hearing after being asked by Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) if “this body would rise up if [rioters] decided to go tonight and paint the Capitol building?”

“This body? I’m not sure,” Barr responded with a chuckle.

Barr, who was the guest of honor during today’s hearing, maintained his composure throughout, even as the Democrats who pretended to be asking him questions would not let him complete answering them. But in one exchange, a mildly frustrated-looking Barr inadvertently exposed the real reason for today’s hearing after yet another Democratic legislator interrupted him in the middle of an answer:

Ag Barr, who has not lost his temper, shows mild frustration at not being able to give answers: "I mean, this is a hearing. I thought I was the one who was supposed to be heard."

— Philip Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) July 28, 2020

Watch:

AG Barr after being interrupted again:

"Well, this is a hearing. I thought I was the one who was supposed to be heard." pic.twitter.com/MJP4EZ853N

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 28, 2020

In under five seconds, Barr exposed the “hearing” for what it was: a pathetic show trial designed to give cover for the failed leadership shown by Democrats including the governors and mayors in the impacted states at the expense of Barr and President Trump. Their hope was that by repeatedly cutting Barr off after their “gotcha” questions, many of which had absolutely nothing to do with a hearing about the federal response to the riots, they could make Barr look incompetent and overreaching and, via extension, Trump.

Barr clearly was not going to have any of that.

In a different exchange with another Democratic legislator who didn’t want to give Barr the time he was owed to answer, Barr flat out told him that if he was under penalty of perjury then he was darned well going to “answer the damn question”:

"I’m going to answer the damn question."

After being reminded by @RepJoeNeguse that he was "under penalty of perjury" Barr insists on answering a question after Neguse tried to move on. pic.twitter.com/YFyNyMnNHk

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 28, 2020

A round of applause for Bill Barr, ladies and gentleman, Bill Barr:

The Honey Badger pic.twitter.com/7ptZIlWvA4

— 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐳⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@buckeye36) July 28, 2020

Final word from DOJ spox Kerri Kupec at the conclusion of the hearing:

Reclaiming this day.

— Kerri Kupec DOJ (@KerriKupecDOJ) July 28, 2020

‘Nuff said.