Capitol storm: Hutchinson's statement shocked – Trump faces legal consequences
Created: 06/30/2022, 11:52 am
By: Lukas Zigo, Johanna Soll, Nail Akkoyun, Christian Stör
Supporters of US President Donald Trump storm the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
© Essdras M. Suarez/dpa
According to Cassidy Hutchinson, experts in the US consider it likely that Donald Trump will be indicted.
Storming of the Capitol:
A congressional committee of inquiry is to determine how the events of January 6 could have happened - and what role Donald Trump played in it.
Spontaneous meeting:
Instead of in July, the committee in the USA is meeting again on Tuesday (June 28) and is hearing Cassidy Hutchinson, a colleague of Donald Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Trump son approved of violence:
Eric Trump reportedly called the fact that his father instigated the violence in the Capitol storming "fair" and "the right thing to do".
Update from Thursday, June 30, 11:30 a.m.:
Donald Trump has long tried to ignore the hearings on the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
This is no longer possible.
The statement by Cassidy Hutchinson, which shed new light on the Capitol attack and raised the question of the legal consequences for Trump, was too impressive.
Former Deputy Attorney General Donald Ayer told CNN that it is now apparent that Trump was the key figure "at every stage" of the attempt to overturn the election.
The main thing now is the question of intent – and Trump knew what he was doing, according to Ayer.
Legal expert Alan Rozenshtein told the New York Times that he now thinks it is far more likely that Trump will be charged.
Pat Cipollone should bring even more light into the darkness.
The investigative committee has formally summoned the former White House Counsel to testify.
The investigative work to date has provided evidence that Cipollone had "repeatedly raised legal and other concerns" about the activities of then-President Donald Trump on January 6 and in the days before, the committee said in justification.
Capitol Storm: Trump supporters wanted Donald to send his supporters home
+++ 8:58 p.m.:
Cassidy Hutchinson testified that she felt “disgusted” when she saw former President Donald Trump tweet attacks about then-Vice President Mike Pence on January 6.
Calling Trump's attacks on Pence "unpatriotic" and "un-American," Hutchinson said of the Capitol storming, "We watched the Capitol deface because of a lie."
+++ 8.40 p.m .:
Laura Ingraham asked Mark Meadows to influence Trump to send people home.
Even Donald Trump Jr. wanted the ex-president to intervene.
+++ 8:34 p.m .:
According to Hutchinson, advisors to Donald Trump said when the Capitol was stormed that the then President had completely lost control of his supporters.
This paints a picture of Trump completely unhinged and completely losing all control which, for his base, they think of him as someone who is in command at all times.
This completely flies in the face of that,” the adviser added.
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Trump wanted to take part in the protests
+++ 8:28 p.m .:
Ex-President Donald Trump
wanted to join the "protests," Hutchinson said.
+++ 8:18 p.m .:
Hutchinson confirms that Giuliani spoke of a “war room”.
+++ 8:15 p.m .:
Donald Trump and Mark Meadows knew about weapons among the supporters of the Ellipse on January 6th.
Both were aware of the potential for violence, Hutchinson said.
She also testified that a White House official, Tony Ornato, said he spoke to Trump about guns at his January 6, 2021 rally.
The Justice Department has proved in court that some of those who entered the Capitol carried firearms and used other weapons to fight back against police.
The House Committee also played police radio traffic identifying firearms in downtown Washington, DC near the Ellipse.
Donald Trump should not have bothered this.
I heard the President say, 'I don't give a shit if they have guns.
You are not here to hurt me.
Take away the damn mags.
Let my people in, they can march to the Capitol from here.
Let people in, take away the damn mags.”
Rudy Giuliani before the Capitol Storm: "It's going to be great"
+++ 7:41 p.m .:
The assistant to the former White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, told the committee on January 6 that she met Rudy Giuliani on January 2, 2021, he was looking forward to January 6, 2021 and he told her " something along the lines of 'we're going to the Capitol'” said.
Giuliani was former US President Donald Trump's personal attorney.
"When Mr. Giuliani and I walked to his car that night, he looked at me and said something like, 'Cass, are you excited for the sixth?
It's going to be a great day.'
I remember looking at him and saying, 'Rudy, can you explain what happens on day six?'
And he said something like, 'We're going to the Capitol.
It's going to be great.
The President will be there.
He will look powerful.
He will be with the members.
He'll be with the senators.
Talk to the boss about it.
Talk to the boss about it.
He knows.'”
Storm on the Capitol: Star witness should testify today for security reasons
Update from Tuesday, June 28, 4:14 p.m .:
The reason for the surprising, short-term bringing forward of the interrogation of star witness Cassidy Hutchinson, a former employee of Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, may now be clear: the members of the investigative committee are “ genuinely concerned” for the safety of the witness.
Cassidy Hutchinson has testified before the committee in private on several occasions and will do so live today.
Arguably their most shocking disclosure to date was that Donald Trump endorsed his supporters' rallying cries of "hang Mike Pence."
What Cassidy Hutchinson will reveal in her testimony today is not yet clear.
But the US newspaper Politico speculated that the important witness was ready to cooperate fully with the investigative committee after a change of lawyer.
Previously represented by a former Trump attorney, she is now representing an attorney who was chief of staff to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and advised him on the Russia affair.
Donald Trump: A big scandal - as a series in pictures
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Storming the Capitol: Donald Trump's son approved of violence
Update Tuesday June 28 3:18pm:
Eric Trump is said to have been "not concerned" that his father Donald Trump's claims could lead to violence on January 6, 2021.
That is what the British documentary filmmaker Alex Holder, who was summoned by the House of Representatives' special committee on the January 6 attack, claims.
Speaking to British newspaper
The Independent
, Holder previously said Eric Trump thought the incitement to violence was "fair."
The Trump family, particularly Eric, "would not mind the thought that the often violent rhetoric they and their patriarch unleashed after his defeat [...] could inspire his supporters to act," reports
The Independent
.
Even if violence did occur, it would be "the right thing to do" as "the election was stolen," Eric Trump reportedly told Alex Holder before January 6, 2021.
Storming the Capitol: Committee announces impromptu hearing of star witness
First report from Tuesday, June 28th:
Washington DC – The investigative committee of the US Congress spontaneously decided to continue its work this Tuesday (June 28th).
This became known on Monday evening and was reported by numerous US media.
The committee continues to investigate the role of Donald Trump in the January 6 riots in Washington DC.
On that day, supporters of Donald Trump marched towards the Capitol after a speech by the former President.
Once there, they gained access to the buildings and then rioted in the Senate and Congress rooms.
Five people died as a result of the events.
Hundreds more were injured.
Will the testimony weigh even more heavily on Donald Trump?
The committee, which is headed by seven Democrats and two Republicans, originally planned to continue its hearings in July.
But now, with just 24 hours' notice, he has announced that an important witness hearing will take place today (June 28).
The witness is Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
She was present at many important events and conversations related to the storming of the Capitol.
Due to her professional closeness to Mark Meadows and thus also to Donald Trump, Cassidy Hutchinson is considered a crucial witness in the investigations of the investigative committee.
She had already testified in previous hearings of the committee and, among other things, heavily incriminated several Republican MPs.
According to Cassidy Hutchinson, the following politicians asked for pardons for themselves or others before the Capitol storm: Scott Perry, Matt Gaetz, Mo Brooks, Andy Biggs, Jim Jordan and Louie Gohmert.
(Christian Stör, Johanna Soll, Lukas Zigo, Nail Akkoyun with dpa/AFP)
