During a hearing of the House January 6 Committee on Tuesday, a former White House aide testified that Donald Trump lunged at his driver when he demanded to be taken to the Capitol on January 6.
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aide to then-White House chief of staff, recalled that Trump tried to go to the Capitol on January 6 despite his aides and legal counsel shooting down the idea.
Hutchinson said Tony Oranto, the Secret Service agent in charge of Trump's detail, told her about the lunging incident immediately after it happened in the presidential vehicle.
The head of Mr. Trump's security detail looked a little lost when I saw him. He asked if Tony heard what happened. I asked Tony what happened.
The president was under the impression that the off-the-record movement to the Capitol was still possible. The president thought they were going to the Capitol when they got into the vehicle. The president had a very angry response to Bobby telling him that we are not, we have the assets to do it, it is not secure, and we are going back to the West Wing.
Bobby replied, "We have to go back to the West Wing" after Hutchinson said that Trump said something to the effect of "I'm the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now."
The president grabbed at the steering wheel. Mr. Engel grabbed his arm and said, "Sir, we are not going to the Capitol, we are going to the West Wing." Hutchinson said that Mr. Trump used his hand to launch toward Bobby Engel.
The man in the room with Ornato and Hutchinson did not disagree with Oranto's recollection.
—Axios (@axios) June 28, 2022
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