What the testimony said
Trump, staff ignored threats
At its sixth hearing on Tuesday, Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aide to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, testified White House officials were warned of the potential for violence on January 6, 2021.
Trump: ‘Let my people in’
The most damning testimony so far, she said Donald Trump knew members of the crowd at his rally near the White House were armed because they were being turned away by Secret Service officers with metal detectors — and directed them to the Capitol anyway. “I don't [expletive] care that they have weapons... take the mags (metal detectors) away.. they're not here to hurt me,” Hutchinson said she heard Trump say. “Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here.”
He tried to grab steering wheel, and wrestled with officer
She then added that a White House official told her the president insisted on travelling to the Capitol after his rally and attempted to grab the steering wheel and wrestled with a Secret Service officer upon discovering his motorcade was returning to the White House. “I'm the [expletive] president,” Trump said, according to Hutchinson. “Take me up to the Capitol now.” Account disputed: Engel, the agent driving the SUV, and Trump security official Tony Ornato stated they were willing to testify no agent was assaulted and Trump never lunged for the steering wheel, a person familiar with the matter told the AP.
‘Pence deserved to hang ’
Hutchinson said: “I remember Pat [Cipollone, the White House counsel] saying something to the effect of, ‘Mark, we need to do something more. They’re literally calling for the vice-president to be [expletive] hung.’ “And Mark had responded something to the effect of, ‘You heard him, Pat, he thinks Mike deserves it. He doesn’t think they’re doing anything wrong.’
Trump: Hutchinson a ‘whacko’
On Truth Social, the social media platform Trump set up after he was banned from Twitter, the former US president criticised Hutchinson’s handwriting and body language and called her a “Total phony” and “Whacko”.
His circle ‘pressured’ witnesses
Committee vice-chair Liz Cheney said the panel asked witnesses if former colleagues in Trump circles had attempted to influence testimony. “One witness described phone calls from people interested in that witness’s testimony. ‘Well, what they said to me is, as long as I continue to be a team player, they know I’m on the right team, I’m doing the right thing, I’m protecting who I need to protect. I’ll continue to stay in good graces in Trump world,” Cheney said.