“It was unpatriotic, it was un-American, we were watching the Capitol building get defaced based on a lie,” Ms. Hutchinson testified.
Cassidy Hutchison’s Testimony Was Constant Jawdropping Bombshells
Tuesday’s surprise January 6th hearing featuring Cassidy Hutchinson, who served as a top aide to Mark Meadows, the Chief of Staff to then President Donald Trump, offered bombshell after bombshell.
Hutchinson’s testimony made clear the march to the Capitol was actually planned, which is not how it’s been portrayed in Trump world. She also detailed a consistently violent Trump, about whom the 25th amendment was seriously discussed among senior White House aides including Pompeo and Meadows. We learned that Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani both asked for a pardon from Trump.
The bombshells penetrated over to Fox News, where Bret Baier said: “‘I’ve covered politics a long time,’ @BretBaier says. ‘I don’t think there has been testimony like this — that is kind of jaw-dropping, in a way — on the inside workings of a White House in crisis after, you know, at this moment, January 6th, that we have seen since Watergate,’” CNN’s Oliver Darcy tweeted.
CNN’s Jake Tapper said of her testimony: “One of the most stunning offerings of testimony in American history.”
The bombshells of Tuesday’s June 28, 2022 hearing range from learning that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows sought a pardon, Trump tried to assault his security detail who prohibited him from going to the Capitol with his armed supporters, Trump frequently threw dishes when he was angry and pulled tablecloths off of the dining room table, and witnesses were threatened by “Trump World.”
Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani both wanted pardons for 1/6 according to Cassidy Hutchinson. pic.twitter.com/A26guyQKWY
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) June 28, 2022
1). Trump Knew His Supporters Were Armed On 1/6 And Didn’t Care
Trump knew the crowd was carrying weapons and directed them to march on the U.S. Capitol. Trump knew his supporters were armed and even wanted Secret Service to remove the magnetometers removed, saying, “Take the fucking mags away.” A magnetometer detects metal instruments, like concealed handguns.
“They’re not here to hurt me,” Trump said while urging the mags to be taken away.
Trump knew his supporters, who marched to the Capitol later, were not there to hurt him and so the fact that they were armed was not a problem for him and he wanted them to keep their weapons.
2). The White House Knew Trump’s Plan On 1/6 Was Criminal
“We are going to be charged with every crime imaginable,” White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said on January 6th of the President’s plan to go to the Capitol, having had previous conversations regarding both obstructing justice and/or defrauding the Electoral Count.
Trump was headed to the Capitol and would have been there during the attack if he had gotten his way: “MOGUL (the president) is going to the Capital…. they are finding the best route now,” the Secret Service chat log at 12:29PM on January 6 reads.
3). Trump Tried To Assault His Own Secret Service Agents
When Trump got in The Beast, he thought he was on his way to the Capitol. He was told he was being taken back to the West Wing. Tony described him as being irate, “I’m the f-ing president, take me up to the Capitol now.”
The president reached up to grab the steering wheel and even lunged for his security detail Bobby Engle’s neck: “Mr. Engle grabbed his arm and said ‘Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel. We are going back to the West Wing. We are not going to the Capitol.’ Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge toward Bobby Engle, and when Mr. Ornato had recounted the story, he motioned toward his clavicles.”
Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called Hutchinson after Trump said he was marching to the Capitol on Jan. 6: “Don’t come up here,” McCarthy said to her.
Cassidy Hutchinson Was An Extremely Credible Witness
Hutchinson, who is 25 years old, worked for Republicans Steve Scalise and Mark Meadows in Congress. She worked in White House Legislative Affairs Office before becoming a special assistant to the President and chief aide to Mark Meadows.
Hutchinson had already sat for four video taped interviews with the January 6th Committee, but on June 28 she testified to first hand events she witnessed of Trump, Mark Meadows, and his White House counsel.
Her testimony is so damning that she “has obtained security in recent days amid concerns about her safety ahead of her public hearing on Capitol Hill, according to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
Hutchinson was initially represented by Trump orbit lawyer Stefan Passantino, per a CNN source, but she fired Passantino and is now represented by Jody Hunt, who was a witness for Mueller.
Hutchinson’s testimony will leave a wake that will continue to reverberate long after today’s hearing and is potentially the most significant testimony in our history.
Ms. Jones is the co-founder/ editor-in-chief of PoliticusUSA and a member of the White House press pool.
Sarah hosts Politicus News and co-hosts Politicus Radio. Her analysis has been featured on several national radio, television news programs and talk shows, and print outlets including Stateside with David Shuster, as well as The Washington Post, The Atlantic Wire, CNN, MSNBC, The Week, The Hollywood Reporter, and more.
Sarah is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.