Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, has provided explosive testimony to the congressional committee investigating the 6 January attack on the Capitol. The 25-year-old, who was a White House intern four years ago, painted a devastating picture of former President Donald Trump's actions in the hours before and during the riot.
Hutchinson testified that Trump personally knew members of the crowd at his morning rally were armed, as they were being turned away by Secret Service officers, but directed them to the Capitol anyway. “I don't [expletive] care that they have weapons. They're not here to hurt me,” she quoted Trump as saying. “Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here.”
In perhaps the most dramatic allegation, Hutchinson recounted second-hand that Trump attempted to grab the steering wheel of his presidential vehicle and wrestled with a Secret Service officer when told the motorcade was returning to the White House instead of the Capitol. “I'm the [expletive] president. Take me up to the Capitol now,” she said he shouted. Trump has denied the allegation, and a source close to the Secret Service has said the agents involved are willing to testify under oath that no such physical altercation occurred.
Hutchinson also testified that Meadows told her days before the attack that things “might get real, real bad”, and that upon learning rioters were calling for Vice-President Mike Pence to be hanged, Trump expressed approval. “He thinks Mike deserves it,” she overheard Meadows say. “He doesn't think they're doing anything wrong.”
The committee chair, Bennie Thompson, said the testimony would be used to pressure senior Trump officials who have so far refused to testify, including White House lawyer Pat Cipollone, to come forward. “If you heard this testimony today and suddenly you remember things you couldn't previously recall, or you discover some courage you had hidden away somewhere, our doors remain open,” Thompson said.
