At yesterday’s Congressional hearing, the Jan. 6th committee heard from former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson a set of remarkable details about Donald Trump’s role in the event, including his advance knowledge there would be violence, and his intense anger at being prevented from going to the riot himself.
When his security detail refused to drive him to the Capitol, according to Hutchison, a furious Trump tried to grab the wheel of his vehicle and also reached toward the throat of a Secret Service agent as if to choke him.
After Trump was forced to go back to the White House, in the dining room he threw his plate of lunch at the wall, breaking the plate and leaving ketchup dripping down the wall. Hutchinson helped the President’s valet clean up the mess.
In the days and weeks leading up to the riot, Hutchinson was both told directly by senior officials and overheard conversations that the crowd on Jan. 6th would be armed and dangerous. When the president was about to address the crowd that morning, many of the marchers refused to go through the metal detectors surrounding the vicinity of the stage because they were carrying weapons.
Those who did enter were disarmed and many weapons were confiscated by security officials. This angered Trump, who wanted the crowd to be allowed to keep their weapons for the assault on Congress. “They’re not here to hurt me,” he declared.
At yesterday’s hearing, the committee also heard more about the “war room” set up by Trump associates at the Willard Hotel to coordinate the events during the riot. And how some senior officials including Cabinet members resigned upon learning of Trump’s comment “Mike deserves it” when the mob was hunting Pence and chanting “Hang Mike Pence.”
The overall legal impact of this hearing was to strengthen the evidentiary trail that Trump and certain of his top aides were involved in the planning and execution of the events of Jan. 6th. In the process, Cassidy Hutchinson emerged as one of the heroes from this sad, dark day in American history.
***
In brighter news, my grandson Oliver’s little league team won the district championship Tuesday night in San Jose with a convincing 18-0 victory so they now move on the sectional round next month. Ollie went 2 for 2 with a walk in the victory.
TODAY’s LINKS (38):
'This is a bombshell': Trump aides left speechless by Hutchinson testimony (CNN)
How the Jan. 6 panel's star witness drew a roadmap for Trump’s culpability (Politico)
January 6 hearings: Trump urged armed supporters to storm Capitol - aide (BBC)
Trump’s fury on display at Jan. 6 hearing. Key takeaways from explosive day of testimony from former White House aide (CNBC)
What are 'mags,' and why did ex-Meadows aide bring them up at the Jan. 6 hearings? (USA Today)
Who is Cassidy Hutchinson, the surprise witness at Tuesday's Jan. 6 panel hearing? (NPR)
Did Cassidy Hutchinson Just Hand the Jan. 6 Committee Its ‘Smoking Gun’? (Politico)
The Most Damning January 6 Testimony Yet (Atlantic)
Federal Agents Seized Phone of John Eastman, Key Figure in Jan. 6 Plan (NYT)
Majority of Americans disapprove of SCOTUS Roe v. Wade reversal, poll shows (CNN)
California to vote on constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights (WP)
Democrats Weigh New Abortion Legislation After Roe v. Wade Overturned (WSJ)
Election 2022: Abortion is central in 1st post-Roe primaries (AP)
Battles over abortion shifted to state courts, as judges blocked statewide bans in Louisiana and Utah and clinics in Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi and Texas sued seeking similar relief. Meanwhile, New Mexico is shielding abortion clinics ahead of an expected patient surge. (Reuters)
Frustration, anger rising among Democrats over caution on abortion (WP)
U.S. Supreme Court takes aim at separation of church and state (Reuters)
Supreme Court sides with doctors challenging their convictions in opioids 'pill mill' case (CNN)
U.S. Urges New Tactic to Curb Putin’s War Machine and Lower Fuel Prices (NYT)
Russia, rejecting default, tells investors to go to western financial agents (Reuters)
Biden committed to 'transatlantic unity' in response to Ukraine invasion (NHK)
Russia bans Biden's wife, daughter from entry (ABC)
Finland and Sweden poised to join Nato after Turkey drops veto (Financial Times)
China cuts quarantine time for international travelers in big step toward easing Covid controls (CNBC)
Biden aides seek to unlock Afghan reserves without enriching Taliban (WP)
23 million Californians to get up to $1,050 in "inflation relief" checks (CBS)
Japan baked under scorching temperatures for a fourth successive day, as the capital's heat broke nearly 150-year-old records for June and authorities warned power supply remained tight enough to raise the specter of cuts. Climate change is driving this year's extreme heat and flooding, scientists said in a study. (Reuters)
The San Joaquin Valley has some of the worst air quality in the country. (PBS)
Too shallow, few fish, unsafe water: Floating down the Indus River in a rubber dinghy (NPR)
War, Weather Endanger Global Food Supplies, Farm Leaders Say (WSJ)
An 8-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed a 1-year-old girl and injured a 2-year-old girl at a Florida motel, authorities said. The boy’s father left the gun holstered in his Pensacola motel room closet. After he left the room, his son found it and fired a round that passed through and killed the baby and struck the toddler. [AP]
Early human ancestors one million years older than earlier thought (Guardian)
The Most Interesting Moons in Our Solar System (Gizmodo)
Mars Has So Much Radiation, Any Signs of Life Would Be Buried Six Feet Under (ScienceAlert)
Reindeer Have a Special Eye Color Just for Winter (Atlantic)
Friends Always Trying To Set Up Single Woman With New Puzzle (The Onion)
No comments:
Post a Comment