Former White House aide: Trump wanted to head to the Capitol with his supporters

As VOA’s Katherine Gypson reports, Ms. Hutchinson said that former President Trump had tried, but to no avail, to join the crowd of his supporters, who marched on the Capitol, and that there had been a moment of tension between him and a Secret Service employee.

For weeks, at public hearings on the commission investigating the January 6, 2021 events at the Capitol, allegations have been made that former President Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine American democracy led to the violent attack that day.

“It was a multifaceted campaign of pressure, led by the former president, aimed at overturning the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and blocking the transfer of power. We have shown that this attempt was based on a lie, on the lie that the elections were stolen and polluted by large-scale manipulations. Donald Trump’s big lieSaid Democratic lawmaker Bennie Thompson.

But from a testimony given on Tuesday some of the most important details offered to date were revealed. Cassidy Hutchinson, a former senior White House aide whose office was just steps away from the Oval Office, said Mr. Trump and his closest advisers, including the chief her direct, Mark Meadows, as White House Chief of Staff, were aware of the possibility of violence.

“Things can go very badly on January 6th“Mrs. Hutchinson told the commission lawmakers, testifying that former President Trump was fully aware that his supporters were armed and would march on the Capitol.”

“I heard the president say something like this: I do not care at all that they have weapons. They did not come here to hurt me. Remove that damn control device (detectors). Let my people in and they can march towards the Capitol from here“, She said.

Mr. Trump has criticized the commission’s investigation, as well as his Republican allies in the House of Representatives, who, referring to Ms. Hutchinson’s testimony, said she was repeating stories told by someone else. But Ms. Hutchinson, who risks prosecution if she lies under oath, detailed Mr. Trump’s desire to march on the Capitol with his supporters, even though the White House Chief Justice had warned that such a thing was likely. to be illegal.

“Mr. Cipollone said something like: Please, Cassidy make sure no one goes to the Capitol. Let me know everything. If anyone goes, we will be charged with any violation of the law that may come to mind”.

During her testimony, Ms. Hutchinson also spoke about a moment of tension created inside the presidential machine, between a Secret Service employee and former President Trump, after the latter ended his speech in front of his supporters on January 6. The debates, according to Ms. Hutchinson, culminated in an attempt by Mr. Trump to forcibly seize the wheel of the presidential car driven by a Secret Service employee.

“The president said more or less: ‘I am the president. Take me to the Capitol, urgently, ‘but Bobby replied,’ No, you must return to the White House. ‘ The president then approached the front of the vehicle to grab the steering wheel”.

In an earlier testimony, Ms. Hutchinson said many Republican lawmakers asked President Trump, at the end of his term, to grant them presidential pardons, protecting them from possible future prosecution, apparently concerned about the role. their in undermining the electoral process. On Tuesday, she revealed that Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and his boss, Mark Meadows, had also apologized to the president.

Asked by Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney if Mr. Meadows was interested in securing a Jan. 6 presidential pardon, Ms. Hutchinson replied:

“Yes, Mr. Meadows apologized to the president“.

The January 6 Commission itself cannot file criminal charges, but may recommend it to the Department of Justice. Lawmakers are expected to resume public hearings in July.

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