Coaching The Witness.

If you didn’t see the U.S. Attorney General’s recent appearance before a Congressional committee, pull it up on YouTube and watch about five minutes of it. You will see a gracious , professional, but all too submissive performance by Merrick Garland. Here’s a few tips for the current Attorney General of the United States on how to respond to the crude, scripted, and overly emotional conduct of the opposition party’s Senators.

# One: Humor. One of the best ways to derail an antagonistic inquisitor is with a quick quip. It’s not easy, but, if the Attorney General has humor in mind and is taking notes, it can be done.

#2. Change The Subject. This is one of the easiest to apply. Prepare for the interview with a list of questions for the committee members to be used simply to divert their attention when they’re at the pique of phony, rehearsed outrage.

3#. “I Gotta Take This …… Set up a prearranged urgent phone call, and, with the index finger of your right hand, tell the committee, “I need to take this call.” and excuse yourself for 5 minutes.

That’s just a few pointers. Not only do these hearings make a difference in the public’s perception of the witness, but they also impact the public’s understanding of the issues. Allowing the Committee to ramble on in fake outrage and direct all of the conversation is doing a disservice to American voters..