At the end of Tuesday explosive testimony from Cassidy Hutchinsona former associate of Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff to President Donald Trump, urged January 6 select committee chairman Bennie Thompson to come forward and narrate the events surrounding the US Capitol riot.
Hutchinson has made countless revelations on Trump’s efforts to block the peaceful transfer of power to Joe Biden leading up to and on January 6, 2021, the day his supporters stormed the Capitol. Among them were that Trump and his confidants had planned for the president to travel to the Capitol that day, despite warnings from White House attorneys and that Trump had jumped at the wheel of his presidential limousine to try to lead the car to the Capitol after his speech to supporters that day.
Thompson praised Hutchinson for her candor and courage to testify.
“Thank you for your courage to testify here today. You are grateful for this committee and your country,” Thompson concluded. “I know it hasn’t been easy sitting here today and answering these questions, but after hearing your testimony, in all its candor and detail, I want to speak directly with the handful of witnesses who were outliers in our investigation, the few who have defied us right out, those whose memories have failed them time and again on the most important details, and for those who fear Donald Trump and his enablers. Because of this brave woman and others like her, your attempt to hide the truth from the American people will fail.”
While Trump denounced Hutchinson’s testimony as a “fake story” and denounced the “Deselect Committee” in a statement on social media, Mick Mulvaney, his chief of staff prior to Meadows, said her testimony about Trump’s outburst in the presidential limousine known as “the Beast” raised questions that would necessitate further testimony from those involved.
Thompson made it clear that he was pleased with testimony from Meadows, who, although he initially texted the committee, declined to sit for questioning, as well as additional information other witnesses might have.
“And for that group of witnesses, if you have heard this testimony today and you suddenly remember things that you could not remember before, or there are details you want to clarify, or you discover some courage that you had hidden somewhere, our doors remain open,” Thompson said.