(Video: Fox News)

Journalist and political commentator Brit Hume joined Fox News’ Bret Baier on Monday’s “Special Report” and said he believes the inclusion of cross-examinations would serve to give the Jan. 6 Committee hearings at least the appearance of legitimacy.

Baier suggested that the absence of such cross-examinations is perhaps having the effect of swaying moderate Republicans to agree with the sham committee.

Hume responded, “Yeah. I would think it would be having some effect. I think it would have had more effect if, by excluding anybody with a point of view that might be helpful to Trump, if they hadn’t done that and they had some questioners on there that would cross-examine some of these witnesses, I’m not sure it would have changed the testimony but would have given the committee a sense of legitimacy that a lot of people now say it doesn’t have because it has been so utterly one-sided and there has been no real opportunity for there to be a defense of Mr. Trump and his actions.”

He added, “I’m not sure that any defense could be mounted that would be convincing. But, if there was one, I think the committee might have gained some legitimacy.”

Baier then played a clip of a recent interview he conducted with Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) on “Fox News Sunday.”

“There are several witnesses who say they met with President Trump on January 4th. And he offered some 20,000 National Guardsmen to protect the Capitol Building. Is that true? Do you know that to be true?” Baier asked Cheney at the time.

“His own acting secretary of defense says that’s not true. Chris Miller has testified publicly that Donald Trump never issued any order to deploy the Guard, to protect the Capitol, “she claimed.

“Well, it’s worth keeping in mind that what the committee is trying to establish here, and Liz Cheney’s own words was that there was a sophisticated seven-part plan to bring about a reversal of the election results to overthrow the election,” Hume commented in response.

“And by — in that sense overthrow the government. I’m not sure the committee has gotten there. The evidence supports that. And the contradictory accounts about whether he authorized troops would certainly suggest that if he was going to do that, that’s a pretty peculiar way to try to overthrow the government is to authorize troops to protect the Capitol,” he continued.

“My sense about that is that’s the kind of contrary evidence that ought to be part of the record fully developed in these hearings. And in any other congressional hearing that I have ever witnessed, that sort of thing would be,” Hume said.

Baier referred again to his interview with Cheney:

“There is no opportunity for the target to defend or put forth a defense. There’s no cross-examination of witnesses. How do you respond to that criticism?” he had asked the congresswoman.

“The notion now that somehow the committee is incapable of getting to the facts of what happened because Kevin McCarthy withdrew his nominees is nonsensical. Nearly every single one of our witnesses has been a Republican,” Cheney claimed.

Baier asked Hume, “What about that response? She does claim that they are going to have a number of hearings or parts of them that deal with the security questions that I brought up there. But what about her answer?”

“Well, she also, as I recall, Bret, I watched the interview, she went on to say she is not sure having cross-examination would have changed the testimony. Well, if that’s the case, then why not have it? And add the legitimacy that a hearing that involves both sides would bring?” Hume asked incredulously.

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Frank Webster

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Frank (Chip) Webster is a musician and composer, former teacher of percussion and U.S. Army Infantry veteran. He holds a degree in English from Arizona State University.

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