'Really, really damaging': CNN legal analyst breaks down how the Lewandowski hearing was a disaster for Trump

President Donald Trump, by all accounts, loved his former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski's performance in the House Judiciary Committee testimony on Russia and obstruction of justice — as did many of the grandstanding Republicans at the hearing like ranking member Doug Collins (R-GA).

But as Lawfare Institute general counsel and CNN legal analyst Susan Hennessey stated on "The Situation Room," the hearing was actually incredibly damning to the president.

"Lewandowski was performing for the president," said political analyst Gloria Borger. "He was performing for Republicans in the state of New Hampshire. If he decides to run for the Senate. And Republicans did get an opportunity today ... to sort of shove it back to the Democrats and say, look, you guys, Barack Obama knew about the Russian meddling, why didn't you tell us."

"We see the alternate realities that Democrats and Republicans are living in and playing out at the hearings," said Hennessey. "That said, I would sound a note of dissent with my esteemed fellow — the job was not to get Corey Lewandowksi to deliver up that perfect sound bite. The job for the Democrats today was to remind the American people that the president of the United States directed an individual to attempt to apply pressure to the attorney general of the United States to limit the Mueller probe. It is potentially an act of obstruction of justice."

"To have Corey Lewandowksi confirm in open testimony that the White House has directed him not to speak about that, what is the president hiding?" said Hennessey. "That stuff is really, really damaging."

Watch below: