Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony of Trump’s altercation with Secret Service detail did happen, multiple reports say: According to a former top White House official, when former President Donald Trump was informed that he would not be taken to the Capitol following his rally on January 6, he attempted to grab the steering wheel of his presidential vehicle and lunged toward his security detail. This information came after Trump was told that he would not be taken to the Capitol. Her words on Tuesday opened the door to the possibility of further testimony from the persons involved, who, according to sources, are eager to testify under oath to refute that story.
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aide to Mark Meadows, who was the chief of staff of the White House at the time, recalled in testimony before the House committee investigating the insurrection that Trump was desperate to join supporters at the Capitol and became irate when his security team informed him that he could not go because of safety concerns. Hutchinson said that Trump became irate when his security team informed him that he could not go because of safety concerns.
Hutchinson described a conversation she had with Tony Ornato, the White House deputy chief of staff for operations, and Bobby Engel, who headed Trump’s security detail, at the White House after Trump’s speech at the Ellipse, in which he told rallygoers that he would be marching to the Capitol with them as Congress completed its formal tally of the results from the 2020 election. Hutchinson said that Trump told rallygoers that he would be marching with them when Congress completed
“As I turned to gaze at Tony, he had just asked me, “Did you f—-ing hear what occurred in the Beast?”” Hutchinson recalled, giving the moniker for the motorcade that accompanied the president. “I responded, “No, Tony. I’m sorry. I’m just getting back. What happened?” Tony went on to explain to me that when the president got into the Beast, he was under the notion that the off-the-record movement to the Capitol was still feasible, and likely to happen, but that Bobby had more information than he did about the situation.”
“So once the president had gotten into the vehicle with Bobby, he believed that they were going up to the Capitol, and when Bobby had relayed to him, ‘We’re not, you don’t have the assets to do it, it’s not secure, we’re going back to the West Wing,’ the president had a very powerful and very angry response to that.”
Ornato, according to Hutchinson, characterized Trump “as being upset.
“Trump shouted something to the effect of, ‘I’m the f-ing president, take me up to the Capitol immediately,'” according to the transcript “Hutchinson gave their testimony. “Then Bobby replied, “Sir, we need to go back to the West Wing,” in response to what the boss had said. The President extended his arm forward, toward the front of the vehicle, in order to get hold of the steering wheel. Mr. Engel grabbed his arm and said, “Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel, we’re heading back to the West Wing.” The man immediately removed his hand off the wheel. We won’t be visiting the State Capitol today.'”
Hutchinson went on to say that Trump “then used his free hand to lunge towards Bobby Engel,” and that “when Mr. Ornato had described this event to me, he had gestured toward his” collarbone. Hutchinson added that Trump “then used his free hand to lunge towards Bobby Engel.”
Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, then questioned Hutchinson about whether or not Engel was in disagreement with any aspect of the tale that Ornato related. Hutchinson has stated that this is not the case.
NBC News was told by a source close to Ornato that Trump’s former deputy chief of staff for operations first heard the account involving the steering wheel during Hutchinson’s testimony on Tuesday and that Ornato is willing to testify under oath that it is not true despite the fact that he first heard it during Hutchinson’s testimony.
