Since witnesses began testifying behind closed doors in the impeachment inquiry, we’ve heard complaints from Republicans that they were being shut out of the process. But Republicans on the committees in question have always been allowed in and now we are getting a chance to see what they asked during the depositions. When the first transcripts were released Monday, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell paid close attention to questions from Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC). As it turns out they weren’t able to do Donald Trump any favors. Here’s part of his assessment:

“The most important thing in these depositions in the impeachment inquiry that were released today is that there is no defense of Donald Trump in those transcripts, not one word of defense. The Republican members of the investigating committees who love to play tough guy in the hallway in front of the microphones were timid little sheep in those depositions. Tough guy Jim Jordan was in the room. Trump worshiper Mark Meadows was in the room, and they couldn’t come up with a single word to put in those transcripts released today that was helpful to Donald Trump.” 

“Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows are completely different people with the door closed and no cameras allowed.” 

“The real evidence, in this case, is the same, whether the testimony is public or private, but what we discover in private testimony is that there is absolutely no defense of Donald Trump being offered by Republicans or by the Republican committee staff council, who is allowed to ask as many questions as they wanted to in the two depositions released today. And those questions accomplished nothing, they accomplished nothing in their many questions. That is why Republicans did not issue their own set of highlights today from the depositions, no Republican highlights whatsoever.” 

Watch more above.