Former President Trump asked on Monday if former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson might face charges for her testimony, which is now being questioned, regarding the former president’s actions towards his driver on January 6, 2021.
“Our great Secret Service has totally CRUSHED Cassidy Hutchinson’s (who I barely knew) made up (FAKE!) stories about me roughing up Secret Service Agents from the back seat of the Beast (Limo),” Trump wrote in a Truth Social Post on Monday.
New Capitol Attack Report Surfaces
“Has she now changed her testimony? Will she be prosecuted for what she did and said? What about the Unselect J6 Committee? They destroyed almost everything, including real evidence and findings. What’s going to happen with them – Serious crimes have been committed?” he continued.
His comments come almost a week after House Republicans published a new report about the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021. It included a testimony from someone who used to drive for Trump.
Report Seeks To Clear Trump’s Name
The report tries to undermine Congress’s first investigation into the 2021 incident and clear former President Trump of any blame as he aims to get back to the White House next year.
Led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who heads the House Administration Committee’s Oversight subpanel, the Republicans accused the previous Jan. 6 select committee, which was run by Democrats in the last Congress, of carrying out a biased hunt to damage Trump’s reputation for political reasons.
Blame Police Leaders For Jan. 6 Attack
Loudermilk released an 80-page report with initial findings that support this view. It says the Jan. 6 attack was the fault of U.S. Capitol Police leaders for not giving enough security. It questions the trustworthiness of Cassidy Hutchinson, the main witness for the select committee.
The report also accuses Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House, of making a biased investigation where the facts were twisted, and Trump was seen as guilty before anyone was even called to testify.
Report Takes Aim At Hutchinson
The GOP report took aim at Hutchinson, a former aide to ex-Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows. She testified several times before the Jan. 6 panel, including in a public hearing where she made bold accusations about Trump and other Congress members.
Republicans zeroed in on one of Hutchinson’s main claims: that Trump tried to grab the steering wheel of his car and his security team when he was told he couldn’t meet his supporters heading to the Capitol after his speech on the Ellipse.
Hutchinson’s Account Of Trump’s Capitol Incident
Hutchinson said that Tony Ornato, who was then the deputy chief of staff, told her that Trump was really angry when Robert Engel, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service on Jan. 6, said Trump couldn’t go to the Capitol after his speech. She also said that Ornato told her Trump tried to grab the steering wheel of the car.
“Mr. Engel grabbed his arm, and 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,’” Hutchinson testified.
GOP Report Disproves Hutchinson’s Testimony
But the GOP report tries to prove Hutchinson wrong by pointing to testimony from many important witnesses who disagree with what she said—including Ornato and the driver of the vehicle.
“The driver of the SUV testified that he ‘did not see him reach [redacted]. [President Trump] never grabbed the steering wheel. I didn’t see him, you know, lunge to try to get into the front seat at all,’” according to the report.
Hutchinson’s Credibility Questioned
Ornato told investigators that the day after Hutchinson testified, he told the Secret Service counsel and spokesperson that he didn’t remember the story she talked about, and he didn’t recall it happening until she mentioned it.
The report also questions Hutchinson’s trustworthiness, pointing out times when she changed what she said.
Hutchinson Shares More After Changing Lawyers
However, reports and Hutchinson’s own testimony show that she started sharing more with the committee after switching lawyers from Stefan Passantino, who was close to Trump and encouraged her to play down her role, to Jody Hunt. He used to work for the Justice Department.
In a September interview with the Jan. 6 committee, Hutchinson apologized for not being completely honest with them sooner.
Trump Insisted On Capitol Trip
A transcript of the driver’s testimony showed that the driver supported Hutchinson’s account of Trump wanting to go to the Capitol with his supporters.
“The president was insistent on going to the Capitol,” recounted the driver, whose name was not disclosed. The driver said it was obvious to him that the president wanted to go to the Capitol. He mentioned that the president wasn’t yelling at Mr. Engel or him.
Trump Saw Crowd As His Supporters
Even though his voice was raised, the driver didn’t think the president was very angry. He also noted that the president didn’t seem as annoyed or upset as he had been on the way to the Ellipse.
At another point, Trump also made clear he viewed the crowd as his supporters and therefore not a danger to himself.
Committee Reserved Transcript
“But the principal factual point here is clear and undisputed: Trump specifically and repeatedly requested to be taken to the Capitol. He was insistent and angry, and continued to push to travel to the Capitol even after returning to the White House,” the report states.
The committee interviewed the driver months after Hutchinson’s testimony, but they didn’t release the transcript with the other records they kept.
Republicans Using Story Inconsistencies To Prove Trump’s Innocence
Republicans and Trump are using differences in the stories to criticize the committee’s investigation of the riot and to say Trump did nothing wrong. Trump even called for the members of the House Jan. 6 select committee, including former Rep. Liz Cheney, to be charged for allegedly hiding evidence.
“It is difficult to fully reconcile the accounts of several of the witnesses who provided information with what we heard from Engel and Ornato,” the report states.
Trump Facing Felony Charges
Trump is facing four serious charges for his alleged attempts to change the 2020 election results, including what he did on January 6th during the riots.
His trial has been postponed while the Supreme Court decides if he can be charged for what he did on January 6th because he was president at the time, and his legal team says he’s protected from prosecution.
