During Tuesday’s unexpected hearing, former president Donald Trump made an effort to distance himself from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former assistant who was a special guest of the House January 6 select committee.
‘I hardly know who this person, Cassidy Hutchinson, is, other than I heard very negative things about her (a total phony and “leaker”), and when she requested to go with certain others of the team to Florida after I had served a full term in office, I personally turned her request down,’ Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social as Hutchinson’s testimony, who is 25 years old, was still going on.
Hutchinson worked for Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and the legislative affairs team in the Trump White House.
During her testimony on Tuesday, she shared humiliating anecdotes about Trump’s actions, such as the time he attempted to grab the wheel of the presidential limousine, the “Beast,” after being told he couldn’t visit the Capitol Building on January 6 and the time he threw food at the wall after Attorney General Bill Barr said there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
Why, if she thought we were so awful, did she want to travel with us? Tuesday, Trump said.
He said Hutchinson only cooperated with the Democratic-led committee because he failed to offer her a position at Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House in January 2021.
Trump stated, “I understand that she was furious and offended that I didn’t want her to go or be a part of the team. She is a horrible omen!
Trump further charged Hutchinson with altering her account in a separate post on Truth Social.
She recently changed lawyers, and as a result, her tale completely changed! SHOCKER,’ the former president exclaimed.
The testimony Hutchinson gave regarding the former president’s tantrums made him angry.
It wouldn’t have been able to do such a ludicrous thing, Trump said. “Her Fake claim that I tried to take the steering wheel of the White House Limousine in order to drive it to the Capitol Building is “sick” and fraudulent, very much like the Unselect Committee itself.”
The January 6 committee tweeted out video of Trump leaving the Ellipse event in a black SUV later on Tuesday, which allegedly shows his hands moving in the direction of the driver.
“Her claim that I threw food is also untrue…
I hardly knew her, so why would SHE have to clean it up? The previous president continued.
Trump persisted in attacking Hutchinson on Truth Social after her testimony was over.
Her physique is that of a complete bull… artist. He penned, “Fantasy Land!”
I never stated that Mike Pence deserves it (to be hung). He wrote on Facebook, “Another made-up statement by a third-rate social climber.”
Similar comments made by Trump regarding Pence to Jonathan Karl of ABC News supported Hutchinson’s account.
The previous president concluded, “A Total Phony!”
“This so-called witness is not being cross-examined.” It’s a kangaroo court here! Trump exploded.
The list of people who Trump has previously turned against includes former vice president Mike Pence and current Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.
During the hearing, Hutchinson described a last-minute discussion she had with Bobby Engel, the head of Trump’s security detail, and former deputy chief of staff Tony Ornato on January 6, following Trump’s speech at the Ellipse.
She claimed that Engel asked her, “Did you hear what effing happened in the Beast?”
She retorted that she wasn’t aware of it.
Tony went on to say that the president believed the off-the-record movement to the Capitol was still feasible and likely to occur when he boarded the Beast, but Bobby had more knowledge, Hutchinson added.
Trump believed they were going to the Capitol, as he had promised his crowd of supporters, according to Hutchinson.
This occurred just before the assault.
“The president had a very strong, very angry response when Bobby had relayed to him we’re not, we don’t have the assets to do it, it’s not secure, and we’re going back to the West Wing,” Hutchinson continued.
Trump allegedly said something along the lines of, “I’m the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now,” to the woman.
She claimed that Engel reaffirmed their intention to return to the White House.
Mr. Engel grabbed the president’s arm and said, “Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel, we’re going back to the West Wing, we’re not going to the Capitol,” she said. “The president reached up toward the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel.”
In order to indicate that the president was aiming for Engel’s throat, Hutchinson said, “Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge toward Bobby Engel and when Mr. Ornato had recounted this story to me, he motioned toward his clavicles.”
Then, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney questioned Hutchinson about whether Engel or Ornato had ever altered their accounts.
According to Hutchinson’s testimony, “Neither Mr. Ornato nor Mr. Engel ever told me that it was untrue.”
Hutchinson then discussed how Trump would throw dishes after receiving bad news.
She recalled “hearing noise” following the publication of the Associated Press article in which Barr debunked Trump’s widespread allegations of election fraud.
Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, was called into Trump’s office.
Hutchinson claimed Meadows headed down toward the White House dining room when she came back.
In addition, she observed that the door was propped open and the valet was inside the dining room changing the tablecloth. He gestured for me to enter and then indicated toward the front of the room, next to the TV and the fireplace.
She added, “Where I initially noticed there was ketchup trickling down the wall. A broken porcelain plate is lying on the ground, too.
She explained that she subsequently assisted with the cleanup when the valet revealed that the president had thrown his meal against the wall in response to the attorney general’s AP interview.
Hutchinson was afterwards asked by Cheney if this was typical Trump behavior.
Hutchinson offered, “There were multiple occasions throughout my time working with the head of staff when I was aware of him either throwing plates or flicking the tablecloth to let all of the table’s contents spill onto the floor and either break or go everywhere.”