Democrats may hold ‘hearings with empty chairs’ in response to White House stonewalling: NYT report

Capitol Hill Democrats are preparing their responses as the White House continues to stonewall all investigations, The New York Times reported Thursday.

"House Democrats, frustrated by President Trump’s efforts to stonewall their investigations and eager to stoke public anger about the president’s behavior, are pinning their diminishing hopes on Robert S. Mueller III yet again," The Times explained. "But so far Mr. Trump and his allies have successfully parried every one of their moves."

Mueller has not agreed to testify before either the House Judiciary Committee or House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

"His absence has left a disappointed House majority with little option but to stage political theatrics like Thursday’s 12-hour reading of the entire unredacted Mueller report in a hideaway Capitol committee room before a few reporters, a guest appearance by the liberal activist actor John Cusack and the unblinking eye of a C-Span (sic) camera," The Times explained.

Democrats are preparing other options, also.

"Democrats involved in the investigations insist that they still have options. They can hold hearings with empty chairs, summon friendly witnesses and mount new and novel challenges against the administration on health care and other issues," The Times noted.

Democrats used an empty chair for Attorney General Bill Barr earlier in the month.

There is, of course, also impeachment, which Pelosi reportedly mentioned at a House Democratic Caucus meeting on Wednesday.

“Some of our folks are a little bit: ‘Why aren’t we impeaching the president? Why aren’t we impeaching him?’” she said, according to someone in the room. “They get a little down, ‘Why aren’t we impeaching the president?’”

Read the full report.