Congressional Republicans are rattling their sabers and promising to do everything in their power to stymie the Department of Justice and prosecutors  who are going after President Trump. Will their onslaught make any meaningful difference? 

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan, said he’s looking at options for possibly compelling Special Counsel Jack Smith to testify before Congress about his investigation into Mr. Trump’s handling of classified documents.

“All options are on the table,” Mr. Jordan told CNN on the topic of potentially subpoenaing the investigators. “I think that would be good for the country to hear, but you know, we’ll see.”

Mr. Jordan has already requested that the justice department hand over a trove of documents relating to the probe and the execution of the search warrant for Mar-a-Lago.

Mr. Jordan has also launched an investigation into the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, over the case against Mr. Trump in New York, relating to Mr. Trump’s hush money payments to an adult film actress, Stormy Daniels.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has also said that she, alongside the House Freedom Caucus, supports exploring ways that Congress can defend the former president in his trial. 

Ms. Greene’s proposal, which was brought up at a House GOP meeting about the budget earlier this week, is to defund the justice department and other relevant federal agencies.

“Today I’d like to announce that I’m writing an appropriations rider to defund Jack Smith’s special counsel, his office, and the investigation,” Mr. Greene said on the House floor. “Never forget that … Hillary Clinton had classified documents on Anthony Weiner’s laptop.”

Congressman Matt Gaetz, a strong Trump supporter who recently led 11 House Republicans to break with Speaker McCarthy on a rules vote, has also thrown his support behind Ms. Greene’s proposal.

In the Senate, Senator Vance promised to “grind this department to a halt” in reference to the justice department, saying that he feels like Attorney General Garland is not being fair to Mr. Trump.

“I think it’s time we stopped just whining,” Mr. Vance said on the steps of the Capitol. “I’ve announced today that I will be holding all Department of Justice nominees that Merrick Garland will use if confirmed.”

Senator Rubio has also warned of retaliation from the next Republican president, saying that there will be “extraordinary” pressure to bring charges against President Biden.

“The next Republican president is going to be under tremendous pressure to bring charges and indict Joe Biden, his family, his crackhead son, whoever,” Mr. Rubio said. “The pressure is going to be extraordinary.”

The vice president of the New York County Lawyers Association, Richard Swanson, when asked aboutthese efforts by legislators, tells the Sun: “As Shakespeare said, it’s ‘sound and fury signifying nothing.’” 

“What the system is supposed to have happen is that the justice department is supposed to indict, and then the judiciary takes over and conducts a trial where the justice department has to show guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to a unanimous jury of 12,” Mr. Swanson said.

In the case of Mr. Vance’s promise to hold up appointments to the justice department, Mr. Swanson said that, while the stonewalling of appointments is unlikely to have an effect on Mr. Trump’s case specifically, it could disrupt the department’s broader duties if it goes on long enough.