Former White House aide reveals Trump’s actions on January 6

TITLE: Former White House Aide Reveals Trump Actions on January 6

SLUG: USA CONGRESS

DATE: JUNE 27 2022

AUTHOR: IACOPO LUZI

LOCATION: WASHINGTON DC

VIDEO SOURCE:REUTERS, AP

DURATION: 02:43

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The legislative committee investigating the assault on Capitol Hill, in an unexpected hearing, heard Cassidy Hutchinson, former assistant to Mark Meadows, Donald Trump’s last chief of staff, on Tuesday to understand the actions of the former president on January 6 and his attitude that day. Iacopo Luzi, in Congress, tells us.

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No one expected another hearing of the committee investigating the Assault on Capitol Hill this week, but this Tuesday’s testimony had such shocking revelations that they could not wait: Cassidy Hutchinson, a former collaborator who was inside the White House that fateful January 6, working for chief of staff Mark Meadows, said former President Donald Trump knew that some of the crowd that gathered for his rally was armed and could turn violent.

((NAT SOUND: Trump speaking))

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However, the former president ignored every sign of possible violence and even removed the security measures at his event,

((SOT 1: Cassidy Hutchinson, ex-assistant to Mark Meadows))((ENG: “I was in the vicinity of a conversation where I overheard the President say something to the effect of, you know, I don’t f* care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me. Take the f* mags away! Let my people in and they can march the Capitol from here, let the people in and take the fucking mags away.”)

ENG: “I was close to a conversation where I heard the president say something to the effect of, you know, I don’t care if they have guns. They are not here to hurt me. Get rid of the metal detectors! Let my people in and let them march to the Capitol from here, let the people in and remove the metal detectors.”

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It was revealed that Trump advisers knew of the possible violence also in the days before January 6 and that this worried, for example, Mark Meadows.

In addition, the former president wanted to go to the Capitol in his presidential car after the rally to supposedly join the mob, and when the secret service objected, Trump was terribly angry.

((SOT 2: Cassidy Hutchinson, ex-assistant to Mark Meadows))

((ENG: “Tony described him as being irate. The president said something to the effect of, ‘I’m the effing president. Take me up to the Capitol now.’ To which Bobby responded, ‘Sir, we have to go back to the West Wing.’ The president reached up towards the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel. Mr. Engel grabbed his arm, 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.”))

ENG: “Tony described him as angry. The president said something to the effect of: ‘I am the president. Take me to the Capitol now. To which Bobby replied, ‘Sir, we need to get back to the West Wing.’ The president reached to the front of the vehicle to grab the steering wheel. Mr. Engel grabbed his arm and said, ‘Sir, you need to take your hand off the wheel. We’re going back to the west wing. We’re not going to the Capitol.”

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According to Hutchinson’s testimony, from one in the afternoon the White House knew what was happening in the Capitol. And so people close to the president, including his eldest son, tried to convince the president to say something to stop the violence.

Yet Trump waited hours before speaking, thinking the protesters were right to attack Congress and that Pence deserved the anger of his supporters.

((NAT SOUND: Hang up Pence))

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President who on social networks said that Hutchinson was not close to him, that he barely knew her and that what he said is not true.

((STAND-UP: Iacopo Luzi, Voice of America))

After this hearing, the committee will resume its sessions in mid-July, to reveal even more details about Trump and what he did on January 6. In fact, the committee is receiving new evidence, new testimonies could be questioned and new revelations could be announced.

From the Capitol, Iacopo Luzi, Voice of America.