CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin Throws Cold Water on Steve Bannon Testifying Before Jan. 6 Committee: ‘Total Sideshow’

CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin doubted Steve Bannon will give testimony before the January 6 Committee, suggesting that the reports to the contrary are all part of his usual schemes to sow discord.

The CNN chief legal analyst joined Dana Bash and Kate Bolduan on Monday to talk about former President Donald Trump waiving executive privilege for Bannon and authorizing his ex-chief strategist to testify before the committee. Bannon has reportedly expressed interest in testifying during a public hearing, and the development comes a week before Bannon was supposed to go on trial for two charges of criminal contempt of Congress. Both counts stem from Bannon’s previous refusal to comply with the committee’s investigation.

Toobin led his analysis by noting that the committee’s next hearing will focus on the matter of Trump and his inner circle knowingly encouraging his supporters toward violence on January 6. Toobin was then asked if he agrees with the Justice Department’s argument that Bannon’s new willingness to testify is “irrelevant” to the criminal contempt case he already faces.

“Totally irrelevant,” Toobin answered.

Steve Bannon is doing what Steve Bannon does which is try to create chaos and misdirection, but when Steve Bannon refused to participate in the hearing nine months ago, that’s when the crime took place. The crime was then over. It was like, that’s when the bank robbery took place. Much later, if you want to get back the money for the bank robbery, that doesn’t mean you did not commit the bank robbery. That is what Steve Bannon is trying to do here and say, “I will testify so there is no harm, no foul.”

Toobin concluded with his thoughts that the testimony won’t happen, nor would it shield Bannon from his legal troubles.

“He’s probably not gonna testify anyway, because all he wants to do is put on a show, and he has more or less acknowledged he’s not gonna turn over the documents that the committee wants,” he said. “This is a total sideshow. I anticipate the judge will simply say ‘Let’s go to trial. Let’s try what happened 9 months ago because that’s the only issue in this case.”

Watch above, via CNN.