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It was great TV.

This is what then-President Donald Trump was apparently thinking as rioters sacked our nations Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. While so many of us were dumbstruck and left reeling by what was unfolding at the seat of our nations government, Trump was watching with rapt attention, tuned into the riot that had been his brainchild as though he were witnessing the greatest reality TV show of all time.

Thursday nights hearing by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot brought the depths of Trumps malfeasance more clearly into focus than ever.

The long and the short of it: our nations 45th president instigated the riot and then did exactly nothing to call off the insurrectionists once they were running rampant across and throughout the Capitol. Nothing. Despite repeated pleas for a statement.

The question one needs to ask after six weeks of hearings staged by the Jan. 6 panel: Does any of this matter, or are Trumps hardcore backers so solidly on board with their man that theres nothing that could shake their faith? The good news on that front: Theres increasing evidence that the cumulative effect of the hearings has been taking a toll on the former reality TV stars standing. We can only hope.

For about three hours while the Capitol was under attack from roughly 1 through 4 p.m. Trump was secluded in the White House private dining room. During this period, while our democracy was under siege, the commander-in-chief of our nations armed forces didnt contact the secretary of defense, the attorney general or the secretary of homeland security. Instead, the TV-obsessed Trump apparently just watched and watched.

Its surely worth asking whether Trump should be criminally charged in connection with the events of Jan. 6. There are, of course, reasonable arguments pro and con.

But separate from possible criminal charges coming from the Department of Justice, theres the very real fact that Trump is being tried in the court of public opinion. And hes increasingly looking guiltier than sin.

Suppose it is clear one day soon that Trump has effectively become yesterdays news, with far too many Republicans and independents having moved on for him to ever again have a shot at the presidency. Would that be sufficient? Not for many. But it surely wouldnt be bad at all.

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Donald Trump was overseeing greatest reality TV show of all time (Editorial) - MassLive.com