Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House staff member detailed description About the role allegedly played by former US President Donald Trump in the riots at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
On June 28, Hutchinson appeared before a congressional select committee set up to investigate incidents when Trump and his supporters claimed the 2020 US presidential election was “stolen” from him.
The January 6 incident was the first of its kind in the country’s history, when the transfer of power after the presidential election was challenged by a candidate, that too a former president.
Hutchinson’s testimony, given that she was part of Trump’s staff, supports the belief that Trump knew what his supporters were going to do, and possibly encouraged it. More than 535 people who broke into the Capitol have been arrested on charges of assault and trespassing on police officers. Five people died in the violence that followed.
Who is Cassidy Hutchinson and what did she say?
Hutchinson was the chief assistant to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows – the man who handles the day-to-day schedules of the US president and helps coordinate with other officials. He previously did an internship at the White House.
According to The Washington Post, Hutchinson heard prior concerns from senior administration officials about plans for a massive rally near the Capitol on January 6. He claimed that officials working with Trump were aware of reports that protesters could be armed.
Hutchinson was present at a Trump rally in The Ellipse, a garden south of the White House, that took place earlier that evening. At the rally, Hutchinson said he repeatedly claimed that the election results were fraudulent, and that this provoked a crowd of supporters to march to the Capitol.
She alleged that she was told by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony M. Ornato that Trump tried to grab the steering wheel of the vehicle he was in when he was told he could not go to the Capitol to join his supporters. , The New York Times reported. Ornato told him that the president had testified by his chief Secret Service agent, Robert Engel, Hutchinson. However, some media reports state that Ornato and Engel can testify that Hutchinson’s account is untrue.
Still, former White House officials who worked with her told The Washington Post that she was a “star witness” because of her extraordinary reach to get close to the president, as well as her “unusual” way to come out. Courage”. to bear witness
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What did Trump say about Hutchinson?
Trump has claimed he doesn’t know Hutchinson well, and called him “bad news” and his account “fake.” He has disputed that he allowed an armed mob to be part of a rally on Truth Social, a social media platform he launched in 2021.
As his supporters marched up to the Capitol Building, Trump tweeted: “These things and incidents happen when a holy landslide election victory is so ruthlessly and viciously snatched away from the great patriots whose treated badly and unfairly. Too long.”
“Go home in love and peace. Always remember this day!” he said.
Twitter soon suspended Trump’s account “due to the risk of further inciting violence”. A few days later, Trump said in a televised address: “I want to be very clear: I categorically condemn the violence that took place last week … Violence and vandalism have no place in our country.”
What will the 6th January committee do?
The committee, whose members are mostly from Joe Biden’s Democratic Party, wants to investigate all incidents related to the violence. This includes the study of why the US Capitol Police and other security agencies were unable to defend against the riot. The role of technology companies and online platforms such as Facebook And Twitter, in addition to smaller, more right-leaning platforms, is also under review for allegedly helping rioters build networks.
The House will then vote to send the committee’s recommendations to the Justice Department, which will then decide whether to charge those men. President Biden has said he wants the Justice Department to prosecute, but Attorney General Merrick Garland has yet to express himself in favor of any specific action.