During an impromptu hearing of the House select committee investigating the January insurrection, Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to President Donald Trump's chief of staff MarkMeadows, dropped a series of bombshells. She said that the former president and his chief of staff were aware of the threat of violence and that Trump tried to hijack his own limo.
Even though President Trump had been briefed that his supporters were armed, he wanted metal detectors and other security measures removed from his rally that preceded the attack, according to testimony given by Hutchinson.
The possibility of violence on January 6 was discussed by the most senior members of Trump's staff in the days leading up to the event.
In a video deposition played back by the committee, Hutchinson recalled a meeting ahead of the rally in which she mentioned both the OathKeepers militia and the Proud Boys. Members of both groups have been indicted by a grand jury. According to prosecutors, the milita's leader believed that Trump might call the group to help him.
According to Hutchinson, Tony Ornato, the White House chief of operations, told Trump about the weapons found at the rally. Hutchinson said that during the 10 a.m. meeting, she and Ornato briefedMeadows on the threat, describing weapons including guns, bear spray, body armor, spears, and flags. She said that the man was sitting on a couch in his office.
Ornato was asked if he had told the president about the weapons. Hutchinson said that Ornato replied that he had.
The president was told about weapons at the rally by Mr. Ornato. Cheney asked Hutchinson. Hutchinson said that Ornato told him that.
The audio of police radio transmissions obtained by the committee was played by Cheney. Some of the weapons described by the officers were rifles and handguns.
Cheney echoed one of the officers on the tapes.
The crowd refused to submit to security screenings. She said that those who passed through a metal detector and were checked for weapons had pepper spray, knives, brass knuckle, tasers, body armor, gas masks, batons, and other blunt weapons.
Hutchinson said that Ornato described the scene in Trump's limo after the rally, as Trump was first told he couldn't join the crowd at the Capitol. Ornato said that Trump lunged for the steering wheel and yelled "I'm the president". You should take me to the Capitol now. The head of Trump's detail grabbed the president's arm and told him not to do it.
The story is evolving.
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