The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol held its most captivating hearing thus far on Tuesday, featuring former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson.
At the climax of Tuesday’s hearing, Hutchinson alleged she witnessed President Trump dismiss concerns about armed supporters trying to get into his rally, whom he would soon call to march on the Capitol.
Another dramatic moment came at the hearing’s conclusion when Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) showed text messages suggesting that members of Trump’s allies attempted to intimidate cooperating witnesses.
Hutchinson’s testimony drew widespread attention partly because of her close proximity to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trump that day.
However, the Secret Service said it would soon respond to her testimony that Tony Ornato, White House deputy chief of staff, told her about a clash inside the president’s SUV.
According to Hutchison’s account, Ornato recalled how Trump tried to take control of the steering wheel from Robert Engel, the head of his security detail and lunged at “Bobby” when he told the president that there weren’t enough assets to guarantee his safety at the Capitol.
However, former Fox News host Megyn Kelly (admittedly not a Trump fan) was quick to point out how a first-year law student could have picked apart Hutchison’s testimony.
WATCH:
The New York Post has more on the response from Trump and multiple unnamed sources:
Trump disputed Hutchinson’s accusation, saying in a statement: “Her Fake story that I tried to grab the steering wheel of the White House Limousine in order to steer it to the Capitol Building is ‘sick’ and fraudulent, very much like the Unselect Committee itself – Wouldn’t even have been possible to do such a ridiculous thing.”
An unnamed source close to the Secret Service also denied the account to multiple news organizations — including ABC, CBS and NBC, adding that both Engel and the SUV’s driver were willing to testify under oath. On Wednesday, NBC News reported that the two men did not deny Trump was irate and demanded to be taken to the Capitol following the rally.
Famous supporters of the president were quick to pounce on the two apparent discrepancies between Hutchison’s testimony and what other eyewitnesses that day, like White House lawyer Eric Herschmann, have said.
As ABC News noted yesterday:
A former lawyer in Donald Trump’s White House claims he wrote a note for the president to read during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, contradicting the testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson at the Jan. 6 committee hearing. On Tuesday, Mark Meadows’ aide said she wrote a note dictated by the Trump chief of staff intended to be released as a statement on behalf of Trump that would try to quell the riot. Hutchinson even said she recognized the note’s handwriting as her own when it was presented by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) at the hearing. But former Trump White House lawyer Eric Herschmann says that, in fact, he wrote the note, not Hutchinson. “All sources with direct knowledge and law enforcement have and will confirm that it was written by Mr. Herschmann,” a spokesperson for Herschmann told ABC News. Hutchinson confirmed the note was in her handwriting during her sworn testimony.
(H/T The Daily Signal)
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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Patrick Houck is an avid political enthusiast based out of the Washington, D.C., metro area. His expertise is in campaigns and the use of targeted messaging to persuade voters. When not combing through the latest news, you can find him enjoying the company of family and friends or pursuing his love of photography.
Coached & given death threats to Lie to J6??
Id say so
Yes, and Grandma has not been seen for 3 weeks now. She did get to be on the phone to prove she hasn’t been snuffed yet.
This girl and the whole disreputable bunch of people on the dumb committee are nuts if they think the American public is stupid enough to believe hearsay! She wasn’t in the car! She doesn’t have a clue! I can’t believe anyone would have been that stupid as to have verbalized that concocted story! It has Liz Cheney’s RINO’s signature juvenile hand all over it!
Hearsay should never be relied upon. This hearing is a joke if they rely on hearsay!!
This is the same bunch that swallowed Vindman’s hearsay whole during the first impeachment.
Once again Megyn’s take on Trump and the elect is wrong! She just can’t get past her stupid feelings about Trump and deal with the hard facts and reality that we are dealing the lies, deceptions and actions of vile evil people full of hate for America!
In 18 months this was not talked about, which would be impossible since people love to talk about Trump. It’s unreal they would even allow “testimony” that consists of hearsay. That is not evidence. If this is the best they have, then they are wasting their time and our tax dollars, and they need to do the jobs they were hired to do, for the people.
Since this is one more bogus attempt to attack the former President, and we the People foot the bill for the democrats hate mongering, I think this time they should pay the bill. Scooter Libbey did prison time for supposedly lying to an FBI agent….this unhinged women should do so as well, unless they determine she is seriously, dangerously, mentally deranged, and Liz Cheney seems to be fabricating her accusations, which is lying well, does that count? Do you think her Dad cringes every time she opens her mouth? She and her hugging buddy Cassidy should get a job on the View, they are perfect for it.
The committee should never have been allowed as soon as Piglosi refused to seat the republican’s choices on the committee. That should have told everyone it was a sham, designed by Piglosi to cover HER arse for HER dereliction of duty in not securing the Capitol building! Then this little punk arse goes in and blatantly lies! She would NEVER have kept that a secret, at her age, she would have blabbed that far and wide! Methinks lizzybutt cheyney coached her on that! They both should be in jail for perjury!
NO MORE WASTED TIME and ENERGY on THE LEFTS CONTINUING WITCH HUNT. WE NEED TO MAKE THESE DEMOCRATS REIMBURSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR SPINNING THEIR WHEELS WITH THEIR LIES AND MISGUIDED BUFFOONERY OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS. DO WE HAVE ANY SECOND!
“Hutchinson alleged she witnessed President Trump dismiss concerns about armed supporters trying to get into his rally.”
Hutchinson’s testimony was a nothingburger.
First of all, if you listened to Hutchinson’s testimony what the President dismissed was that idea that these people wanted to do harm to him! That seems to be a fair assessment. Both at the White House and in the car the Secret Service and others suggested it wasn’t safe for Trump to be at the rally or go to the capitol. Trump dismissed the idea that these people wanted to do bodily harm to him.
Second, Trump clearly saw the potential threat for unruly behavior on Jan. 6. He authorized the deployment of the National Guard to assist with securing the Capitol. It was the Speaker of the House, the Mayor of Washington D.C., and others in charge of Capitol security who turned down this request. For THREE DAYS leading up to this event the White House tried to get them to agree to deploy the National Guard. So, clearly Trump saw the potential for things to get out of hand that day, he saw the threat. The January 6th committee should be investigating the Speaker of the House, the Mayor of Washington D.C., and others in charge of Capitol security’s role in refusing the help offered. But of course they have refused to do so.
That witness, I believe was paid or threatened to say what she did. All of her testimony was hearsay and has since been denied by the real people that were present.
Pretty sure the secret service guys that were actually in the vehicle with Trump are more believable in what they are saying. Wonder who did or said what to this young woman to make her give this story to this kangaroo court?