‘Unhinged and depraved’
Re “Trump knew of Jan. 6 threat,” June 29
The testimony of Trump administration aide Cassidy Hutchinson was not necessary to determine that the former president was unhinged and depraved. Her recollection of what happened inside the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, should not be a surprise.
The twice-impeached Trump has long displayed this behavior. In 2016, his infamous “Access Hollywood” recording, where he bragged about grabbing women by their genitals, leaked. He later excused these comments as “locker room talk.”
Communication between
his supporters prior to Jan. 6 pointed to the prospect of violence that day. Trump was aware of the coup that was planned. According to Hutchinson, the president knew that people attending his speech on Jan. 6 were armed.
Trump has yet to express any remorse for his actions that day, including his failure to immediately call off the violent mob.
Richard C. Armendariz Huntington Beach
Hutchinson gave the public an inside view of how several people in the Trump White House tried to defraud the American electorate. When their effort failed, the ex-president basically lost his mind and still is living in an alternate reality.
This behavior is nothing new for Trump.
More important and more relevant is why she was there. Hutchinson worked hard for Republican leaders and was proud of what was accomplished, only to have Trump destroy everything. Malignant narcissists do exactly that — destroy everything. It’s their nature.
It was important to her as a real American to let people know the truth from the inside.
Gene Tyrna Trenton, Mich.
Those seeking to somehow still defend the former president have latched on to a single moment in Hutchinson’s chilling testimony — the fact that she testified she was told by White House official Anthony Ornato of a violent incident in the presidential limousine.
Ornato denies this, resulting in a he said-she said standoff.
Fine. But whether true or not, that story pales in comparison to a firsthand account that Hutchinson testified to regarding the president knowingly sending armed supporters to the U.S. Capitol. That alone is the most damning testimony so far.
And the fact that there has been no credible rebuff from the former president’s supporters tells you all you need to know.
Norman Weston Long Beach