Cassidy Hutchinson testifies again at surprise Jan. 6 hearing

On Tuesday, the 6th hearing took place of the January 6 committee. Only one witness was called in this case, Cassidy Hutchinson, who was a former aide to Donald Trump during his time as President and also his chief of staff, Mark Meadows.

Hutchinson discussed how in December 2020, about one month after election day, the director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, told her Trump’s refusal to concede the election “could spiral out of control and be dangerous for our democracy.”

Hutchinson portrayed the West Wing as divided, saying that some of the staff were extremely worried about the violence occurring at the Capitol whereas others didn’t show any concern at all.

The committee started the meeting by going back a few days before the riot took place.

Hutchinson previously testified that on Jan. 2 she first began feeling concerned about what could happen on the day of the Ellipse rally. It started with a conversation with Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s attorney, who allegedly told Hutchinson: “The 6th is going to be a great day … we’re going to the Capitol. It’s going to be great. The president is going to be there. He’s going to look powerful.”

When Hutchinson asked Meadows about the conversation, he told her “something to the effect of ‘There’s a lot going on, Cass, but I don’t know, things might get real, real bad on Jan. 6.’” Hutchinson claimed that those close to Trump not only expected the riot on the Capitol, but planned on it.

“When hearing Rudy’s take on the 6th and Mark’s response, that was the first moment that I remember feeling scared and nervous about what could happen,” she said.

Hutchinson recalled hearing the words “Proud Boys” and “Oath Keepers” more often on the days leading up to Jan. 6. When she attended the Jan. 6 rally at the White House, Hutchinson said she overheard a conversation with Trump saying he knew people had “many weapons.”

“When we were in the off-stage announce tent, I was … in the vicinity of a conversation where I overheard the president say something to the effect of, ‘You know, I don’t effing care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me. Take the effing [magnetometers] away. Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here,’” Hutchinson said in videotaped testimony.

During the speech, Trump talked about walking to the Capitol, where he had earlier posited he might give a speech or even enter the House chamber.

Trump told the rally that day he would go to the Capitol, and Secret Service and National Security Council staff communicated about “clearing a route,” according to the committee. “‘I am the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now,’” Hutchinson testified that the president said.

Trump responded to her testimony on his social media app, Truth Social, labeling it “fake” and calling Hutchinson someone he “hardly knew.”