During a hearing on President Biden’s 2025 request for the Department of Justice, Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) seemed more interested in MAGA gotchas rather than the less clickbaity but more substantive work of delving into the appropriation request.

Unfortunately for Cline, Attorney General Merrick Garland failed to give him the made-for-Fox-News soundbite that was Cline's likely objective.

First, Cline played the conservative victim card: He claimed there’s “a crisis of confidence” in the Department of Justice “created by the dual treatment of American citizens depending on their viewpoints or their political positions or their political offices.” He was trying to suggest that Donald Trump is being unfairly prosecuted for stealing classified documents and refusing to return them when Biden's completely different behavior was not. Never mind that the Trump-appointed special counsel was the one who decided against prosecuting Biden for his inadvertent retention and prompt return of the documents.

“I’m assuming you personally declined to take action against President Biden for his role for mishandling of classified documents,” Cline said accusingly to Garland.

Garland didn’t take the bait. He said special counsel Robert Hur’s report “speaks for itself” and that any questions about it could have been asked of Hur when he testified before Congress not long ago.

So, Cline tried for another gotcha. This time, he tried the "Biden is senile" ploy that Hur inserted into his report for that oh-so-unfair DOJ: “So, you won't agree that Biden would have come across to a jury as a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory?” Cline "asked." When Garland swatted away that "question," Cline asked, “Have you ever seen evidence of impairment in your meetings with the president?”

“I have seen the president effectively guide the members of the department of his cabinet and his military – “ Garland began.

Cline interrupted to suggest Garland was dodging the question. “But you won't say you've [n]ever seen any impairment on his part,” he badgered.

“The president has no impairment,” Garland said. “The president – “

“You've never seen any?” Cline interrupted again.

Finally, Garland had had enough. “I don't know how many ways I can say this. I have complete confidence in the president and I reject your characterization.”

Cline moved on.