Orchestrating a show trial unlike any other in American political history, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is scrambling to protect Donald Trump and the rest of the GOP from a damaging proceeding this week. Not only intent on shutting down meaningful debate by cutting off access to evidence and witnesses, the Republican Party has instituted brand new restrictions on the press during the trail, designed to protect Republican senators from having to answer simple queries.

Just as they refused to acknowledge nominated Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland in 2016, McConnell’s Republican Party is tearing up decades of protocol and tradition in order to protect its political standing.

Read the rest of Eric Boehlert’s piece at PressRun.