The Dems were completely backed into a corner. They had no direction to move in that wouldn't expose them completely to the populace. They had to protect their voter base (illegals) at all costs. Nothing else mattered to them. They were put between a rock and a hard place. Damned if they do, damned if they don't. Hold their ground, and the public starts to get into an uproar: "what do you want that you're not getting? What is the problem here?" Give in, lose their voter base. Either fate is essentially death to them: have their agenda exposed beyond all doubt, or lose their illegal voter base. Turns out both fates are being faced simultaneously.
There are no amateurs in the White House.
Seems the desperation to eliminate POTUS took a big leap tonight.