"Keep an open mind."
That was Judge Irving's counsel to the jury at the close of Day 5 of Mann v. Steyn. Why would the Judge feel the need to state "keep an open mind" barely a week into the trial? Well, let us count the reasons.
The morning began with Mark back on the stand being "questioned" by the Plaintiff's counsel about the meaning of this word or that word and whether or not he had read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn when he was 10 (just kidding, though we would not have been surprised by such an inane question at this point).
Mark kept a smile on his face. And faced repugnant questions, and the implications thereof, such as if the Penn State scandal was "in [Mark's] wheelhouse." Mark's response: "I wouldn't say it was in my wheelhouse. I was morally revolted at what happened at Penn State... I don't recall the rape of middle school boys of being in my wheelhouse. I don't think you should have to have that in your wheelhouse. If it is in your wheelhouse, you should object to the rape of middle school boys."
Shortly thereafter is when it happened. When the prosecution of Mark Steyn became crystal clear.
You were a guest host for Sean Hannity, right?
And you were a guest host for Rush Limbaugh, right?
And you have also been a guest host for Tucker Carlson, right?
And you had a contract with National Review, right?... And National Review influences a highly engaged audience of elected officials to opinion and business leaders?
And did you drop out of high school?
It was "Mr. Dropout's" -- as Mark put it -- CV on trial today. Why? The names and institutions listed above are triggers. And in Washington, DC, it doesn't take a lot to trigger, let's say, a jury.
So, when all else fails, bring up the vast right-wing conspiracy.
Michael Mann then took the stand in his own trial, and his lawyer dotingly went through Mr. Mann's CV, all 1,000 pages of it, to include every single speaking engagement he has ever given. Ever.
The well-educated State College professor vs. Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Tucker Carlson, and Mark Steyn.
And if you don't agree, this is what happens:
~If you want to attend the trial in person, directions to the Courthouse can be found here (then proceed to Room 518). If you want to watch online, click here and follow the instructions for Room 518 (these instructions also apply to those who want to call in). To support Mark during this time, consider purchasing a special Trial of the Century Liberty Stick from the Steyn Store. Or if you just want to reach out, keep those messages coming via DM on X.