I quit the Trump administration because I thought he wasn't the right leader for the country. I've defended him against the claims that he did something illegal.
I pointed out that he had been accused of inciting violence in the past and that the results were generally peaceful. The president gave his speech before the right-wing extremists were at the Capitol.
We defended democracy. The threat to America keeps us up at night.
Bill Barr, the two-time U.S. attorney general, and now no fan of Trump, said he didn't think the president's actions that day rose to the level of a crime.
I am not sure if Barr is having a harder time maintaining that stance. I think that things could get very dark for the former president after some of the bombshells that came out in that hearing.
The most sensational allegations are that Trump knew some of the protesters had guns and encouraged them to go to the Capitol, that he physically attacked a member of his security team when they refused to drive him to the Capitol, and that there might be.
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The assault on the federal agent may constitute a crime because of the alleged link to the extremists. While certainly not determinative, the fact that people around you were worried about committing crimes is a good one.
The star witness of the "surprise" hearing was Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to MarkMeadows and a special assistant to the President.
Columnist Rex Huppke said that either President Oprah or Vice President AOC should be welcomed.
It was terrible on January 6. Conservatives have reasons to question the hearings.
Trump suggested after Hutchinson's testimony that she was a disgruntled employee who was denied a position in the post-White House Trump team. Her credibility could be raised if that is true. It will be interesting to see if anyone comes forward to refute her allegations. I don't know her well, but I found her testimony credible.
There is a revelation from the hearing that does not change the fact that the witness is lying.
At the end of the hearing, the Vice Chair displayed a few slides from other witnesses.
"As long as I continue to be a team player, they know that I'm doing the right thing, I'm protecting who I need to protect," read one slide. As I went through my depositions and interviews with the committee, they reminded me that Trump reads transcripts to keep that in mind.
It was clear that the committee members believed they had evidence that people within the Trump operation tried to intimidate witnesses.
It's possible that Trump committed crimes on that day. Maybe he did not. For many people how they feel about his actions will depend on how they voted, even though the congressional hearing is not a criminal court.
Donald Trump did not assault his agent, he did not know about the guns, and he did not know what the Proud Boys were up to.
Mick Mulvaney was the White House's acting chief of staff from December of last year to March of 2020.
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Mick Mulvaney said that Cassidy Hutchinson doubted Trump's innocence.
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