It is a bizarre role reversal. The Republicans are questioning the authority of badges and the Democrats are defending them. A lot of the roles people were playing were in their politics. One of the maddening things on so many issues is that the facts are readily determined, as opposed to the politics. The ability to inflame the public is an entirely different matter.
Perception becomes reality.
In the hearings you had two sides playing a role. So the postscript is that the ATF and the FBI are healthier than ever. No repercussions, no one punished. There were two agents, commanders of ATF, who were supposedly fired. They went to the Labor Relations Board and claimed it was a political cover-up, etc.