Jan 6th Hearings

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You should really watch #6.

Secret Service vs Cassidy Hutchinson: Another agent now debunks former aide's claims about Trump

'Trump's not a little guy, right? His girth would prevent him from actually getting to the steering wheel,' remarked the secret service, under conditions of anonymity

By Meenakshi Sengupta
Published on : 00:27 PST, Jul 1, 2022

The handwritten note
The claim: In an exchange Tuesday, Hutchinson testified that she wrote a note dictated by Meadows suggesting a more full-throated White House response to the riot:

HUTCHINSON: That’s a note that I wrote at the direction of the chief of staff on January 6, likely around 3 o’clock.

CHENEY: And it’s written on a chief of staff note card. But that’s your handwriting, Ms. Hutchinson?
HUTCHINSON: That’s my handwriting.

CHENEY: And why did you write this note?

HUTCHINSON: The chief of staff was in a meeting with [White House lawyer] Eric Herschmann, potentially Mr. Philbin, and they had rushed out of the office fairly quickly. Mark had handed me the note card with one of his pens and sort of dictating a statement for the president to potentially put out.

The dispute: Herschmann told ABC News he actually wrote the note. “The handwritten note that Cassidy Hutchinson testified was written by her was in fact written by Eric Herschmann on January 6, 2021,” an anonymous Herschmann spokesperson wrote. “All sources with direct knowledge and law enforcement have and will confirm that it was written by Mr. Herschmann.”

The parse: This might be one of the stranger disputes — since it seems that Hutchinson would be able to recognize her own handwriting. The committee would also seemingly have been aware that Herschmann said he wrote the note; his spokesperson said Herschmann has told the committee that. The committee responded to ABC’s report by saying it found Hutchinson’s testimony credible but suggesting the dispute was beside the point, which is that White House aides recognized Trump’s response to the insurrection was insufficient. It’s certainly a smaller factual point, but all such points reflect on the credibility of witnesses. And both Hutchinson and Herschmann have been vital ones.

The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection could make multiple criminal referrals, including of former President Donald Trump, the panel’s vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, said in an interview broadcast Sunday.

“We’ll make a decision as a committee about it,” the Wyoming Republican told ABC News when asked about the prospect of referring Trump for prosecution and saying “yes” when asked whether a referral of Trump was possible.

“The Justice Department doesn’t have to wait for the committee to make a criminal referral, and there could be more than one criminal referral,” Cheney said.

Meanwhile, Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, the other Republican serving on the January 6 committee besides Cheney, told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday that Cassidy’s testimony had “been inspiring for a lot of people,” and that more witnesses have come forward since her explosive revelations last week, adding “there will be way more information – and stay tuned,” without elaborating further.

The January 6 committee has been split on the issue of criminal referrals, even as members are in wide agreement that Trump committed a crime when he pushed conspiracies about the 2020 election. Cheney told ABC News it was probable that the panel would take a stance on whether Trump should be prosecuted.

“We may well as a committee have a view on that,” she said. “If you just think about it from the perspective of: What kind of man knows that a mob is armed and sends the mob to attack the Capitol and further incites that mob when his own vice president is under threat?”

“It’s very chilling, and I think certainly we will continue to present to the American people what we’ve found,” she continued.

Cheney also said the committee had evidence corroborating Trump’s fury at being told he couldn’t go to the Capitol on January 6.

“The committee has significant evidence on a whole range of issues, including the President’s intense anger,” she said. “You will continue to see in coming days and weeks additional detail about the President’s activities and behavior on that day.”

Cheney, who has experienced significant blowback from fellow Republicans for her denunciations of Trump and her role leading the investigation into the January 6 riot, insisted the proceedings are not meant to politically disqualify Trump from running for president again.

Instead, she said they were intended to ensure the American people have an accounting of what happened that day, even as she acknowledged there wasn’t a “single thing” she’s learned that made her less concerned about Trump returning to the White House.

“A man as dangerous as Donald Trump can absolutely never be anywhere near the Oval Office ever again,” she said.

Has all the collusion, treason and federal crimes boild down to grabbing a steering wheel?

No.

Have you watched/listened to the J6 hearings?

Hell no. But I come across comments from others who have. Seems lately all I hear about is Trump trying to grab a steering wheel. I will watch the highlights though, if Trump actually gets indicted for anything. I'd probably be more tuned into the hearings if Trump was actually still the president.