According to Cassidy Hutchinson, at the time, the president knew his supporters at the rally were armed when Trump encouraged them to march on Capitol Hill, where the Republican-defeated American election was confirmed.
Donald Trump knew they were armed when he urged his supporters to march to the U.S. Congress in his speech on January 6, 2021, in the episode ending the Capitol invasion and five deaths.
And the then-president intended, at the end of his rally, not to return to the White House, but to join the protesters in Congress. For this, he even tried to get behind the wheel of the vehicle that took him back to the presidential residence.
These are the key statements by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, whose affidavit she gave to the congressional committee investigating the January 6 episode was made public on Tuesday, June 28.
According to Hutchinson, both Trump and his closest aides were aware of the violent potential of this demonstration, which was scheduled to take place in the US capital, and Trump planned to repeat his accusations that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent and without proof. he, Democrat Joe Biden, would become the real elected president of the country.
On the same day, January 6, 2021, in an official ceremony prescribed by the U.S. Constitution, Congress met under the command of then-Vice President Mike Pence to confirm Biden’s electoral victory.
According to Hutchinson, Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said the incident was intended to make Trump “appear strong”.
When asked by his aide what could have happened on January 6, Presidential Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Meadows said, “There’s a lot going on, Cas. But I don’t know, things could go really badly on January 6th.” according to the testimony of the former adviser.
By his account, Trump was aware that the protesters were armed, and for this he gave express orders not to be stopped.
“The President apparently asked all the participants in the (rally) official area and repeatedly said, ‘They are not here to hurt me.’ (..) In that speech, he was told again that there were guns. To say they could march to the Capitol: ‘Take the metal detectors, they ( protesters) are not here to harm me. Let them in, let my people in. After the rally is over, they can march to the Capitol.
Attack on Secret Service agent
According to Hutchinson, Trump intended to join the crowd marching to Capitol Hill after the end of his speech. Had he faced the Secret Service’s refusal, he would have held the steering wheel of the vehicle to force it in another direction.
“(Secret service agent) told him (Trump), ‘(We’re not going to the Capitol), it’s not safe, we’re going back to the west wing[of the White House]’. A very strong and very angry reaction. Tony (another aide) told him (as Trump said) ‘I am… the president’s president, take me to the Capitol now.’ Bobby Engel (another agent) replied, “Sir, we have to get back to the west wing.” Reaching out in front of him. Engel grabbed his arm. He said, “Sir, you need to step back.”
Hutchinson’s testimony is an important piece that the parliamentary investigative team has been missing so far: a first-hand account of how January 6 went on at the White House. The commission is trying to establish that Trump is responsible for the events. According to opinion polls, the public hearings managed to capture the attention of at least half of the American audience.
Hutchinson was the top aide to chief of staff Mark Meadows, with whom Trump spoke daily. He sat a few feet from the Oval Office and was the Presidency’s main interlocutor with Congress.
In response to Hutchinson’s statement, Trump attempted to disqualify his former aide in a social media post, saying he knew too little and fired him.
“I barely know who Cassidy Hutchinson is, I’ve heard so many negative things about her (totally wrong and ‘leaky’) and when she wanted to go to Florida with a few guys from the team after a serve. Term Totally, I personally refused her request. That’s all for us. “If he thought we were bad, why did he want to go with us? I understand he’s very upset and annoyed that I don’t want him on the team,” Trump wrote.
At the end of Tuesday’s session, commissioner Republican Representative Liz Cheney said lawmakers had gathered what they saw as evidence of “witness intimidation” by Trump.
What message did the commission then deliver to the interlocutors of the former president who would testify to the commission to say that Trump “thought” this, that his deputy was “loyal” and knew he would “read the transcripts”? statements”. It is a crime to intimidate witnesses.
– This text was published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-61974679.
Did you know that the BBC is also on Telegram? subscribe to the channel.
Have you watched our new videos at YouTube? Subscribe to our channel!
source: Noticias
[author_name]
