Thread by @sarahposner

Cheney outlining Hutchinson's "position to know a great deal" about what was happening in the Trump WH.

Today we will hear "new information" about Meadows and WH counsel and what they did/said on Jan. 6, about what they knew about prospect for violence beforehand. #Jan6Hearings

Thompson now establishing Hutchinson's bona fides w/ Rs on Capitol Hill and in Trump WH; she worked for Steve Scalise, Ted Cruz, then Trump WH. He shows photos of her w/ various Republicans.

When she moved to WH COS w/ Meadows, in March 2020, she was his liaison to the Hill. She was in contact w/ Meadows consistently throughout the day in this job.

Thompson is establishing here how close everyone's offices were to each other in the WH; this will be the basis for how she was able to know/hear so much of what happened there. #January6thHearings

Cheney questioning now.

Hutchinson recalling that Giuliani met w/ Meadows 1/2/21.

She walked Giuliani out, and he asked her "are you excited for the 6th, it's going to be a great day?"

"We're going to the Capitol, it's going to be great, the president is going to be there..."

She went to talk to Meadows right after: "I had an interesting conversation with Rudy..."

Meadows told her, "things might get real real bad on January 6."

She had been "apprehensive" about the 6th, she said. "When hearing Rudy's take... and Mark's response... that evening [the 2nd] was first moment I remember feeling scared and nervous about what might happen Jan. 6"

Cheney now asking Hutchinson about convo w/ DNI John Ratcliffe in Dec. 2020. Ratcliffe was opposed to the Jan. 6 planning, told Hutchinson he was concerned it could "spiral out of control" and be "dangerous, potentially for our democracy"

"I recall hearing the word Oath Keeper and the word Proud Boys" when Giuliani was around, Hutchinson told the committee. #January6thHearings

Hutchinson got call from Nat Sec Advisor O'Brien on Jan. 4, asking to speak to Meadows about potential violence on the Hill. #January6thHearings

Cheney outlining the vast array of weapons seized from people attending Trump's rally on ellipse; people who didn't go through security for it also had AR-15s and other weapons, including rifles, Glock style pistols, people in trees on Constitution Avenue with "weapon on hip"

Men walking down Independence Avenue carrying AR-15, identified by law enforcement.

#January6thHearings

Weapons at the ellipse rally included flag poles, bear spray, Hutchinson also recalled talking with Meadows at 10 am, where Tony Ornato -- spears, flag poles, -- "and these f'ing people are fastening spears to the end of flagpoles"

Meadows' reaction to array of weapons in crowd:

"I remember distinctly Mark not looking up from his phone. . . . And then Mark chimed in, alright, anything else? still looking down at his phone"

Trump knew too. Ornato, deputy COS, had also told Trump about the weapons at the rally.

Wow. They knew they knew they knew.

They -- Trump, Meadows -- did nothing, knowing how the mob was armed to the teeth.

Trump was "furious," says Hutchinson, because he wanted the arena on the Ellipse to be filled to capacity, he wanted more people to fill in empty space. [crowd size always]

In the tent at the Ellipse, Hutchinson says backstage, Trump was very concerned about crowd size, he felt security was at fault for not letting people in. "He was angry we weren't letting people in ... with weapons."

She overheard Trump say "I don't f'ing care if they come here with weapons" and wanted the security taken away.

The people with weapons weren't there to hurt Trump, so he didn't care if they came into his rally with them.

"They're not here to hurt me," said Trump. He was repeatedly told they couldn't come through security because they had weapons. "Let my people in."

"Take the f'ing mags [magnetometers] away".

After being told the crowd had weapons and body armor, he told them to walk to the Capitol. Cheney is very deliberately laying all of this out with Hutchinson.

They also knew, through secret service and Ornato, that "capitol police officers were getting overrun" at the Capitol. She went to the car where Meadows was having a phone call w/ someone else, he shut the door on her.

When she finally got to talk to him about what was happening at the Capitol, "he almost had a lack of reaction."

#January6thHearings

Were Cipollone and Herschmann concerned about Trump's 1/6 speech? Herschmann had said they would be "foolish" to include language like "fight for Trump" "we're going to march to the Capitol" "I'll be there with you"

They urged speechwriters not to include that language for "legal concerns." Also language about Pence.

Remember, Giuliani had told Hutchinson that Trump planned to go to the Capitol on 1/6, Cheney emphasizes.

Hutchinson describing difference between a known presidential movement known to public/press, and an "off the record" movement, known to only a small group of staff.

Cipollone was concerned about legal implications of Trump going to Capitol. On 1/3, Cipollone approached her, knowing that Meadows had raised the possibility. Cipollone told her "we need to make sure this doesn't happen... we have serious legal concerns."

He urged her to continue to convey this to Meadows, who Cipollone was concerned was pushing this along with Trump.

He again urged her to make sure movement to Capitol by Trump didn't happen on the 6th. "Please make sure ... we're going to get charged with every crime imaginable:" obstruction of justice, defrauding electoral count, for example.

Cipollone was also worried "it would look like we were inciting a riot."

#January6thHearings

NONETHELESS, Trump STILL wanted to go to the Capitol, according to multiple WH aides.

#January6thHearings

NSC staff were monitoring situation in real time, Cheney shows an NSC chat log:

They believed Trump was going to Capitol.

They learned of attack on Capitol in real time.

When he left Ellipse at 1:10, they knew rioters were already at Capitol.

McCarthy called Hutchinson during Trump's speech. She was still in the tent behind the stage. She couldn't hear what Trump was saying from there. McCarthy, angry, accused her of having lied to him after saying all week that Trump wasn't coming to Capitol.

In Trump's car on way back to WH from Ellipse, Trump had been under impression from MEADOWS that off the record trip to Capitol was still possible; when he learned it wasn't happening, Trump was "irate." Said, "I'm the f'ing president, take me up to the Capitol now."

Trump tried to grab the steering wheel!

Trump lunged toward the head of his security detail, toward his clavicle, Hutchinson says.

Kayleigh McEnany wrote in her notes that he STILL wanted to go to Capitol after returning to WH after this altercation in the car. "He wanted to be a part of the march in some fashion."

MEADOWS told Trump right before he took stage on Jan. 6 that he was still working on an off the record movement to the Capitol.

So Meadows knew about all the weapons, didn't care, thought it would be good idea to Trump to go with the armed mob.

Previously, Trump had been so "extremely angry" about Barr's AP interview in which he said there was no election fraud, Trump had thrown his lunch against the wall of the White House dining room.

There were OTHER instances in dining room when Trump threw dishes, or flipped the tablecloth to throw all the contents on the table on the floor.

Hutchinson's testimony is done.

#January6thHearings

Think:

-they planned for Trump to march to Capitol
-they knew the mob was armed to teeth, but Trump wasn't worried they'd hurt him
-Trump/Meadows were warned it was illegal
-when Trump's security wouldn't take him, he tried to commandeer the car and choke someone

Remember that Cipollone had warned of at least two crimes, according to Hutchinson, that Trump could be breaking by going to the Capitol.

Trump knew he'd be going with an armed mob who would not only *protect* him, but *do his bidding.*

What does that sound like to you?

A COUP

Why won't Cipollone testify? Hutchinson testified despite what the Committee called credible threats to her security.

Cheney: On Jan. 5 and 6, Roger Stone was photographed with multiple Oath Keepers.

Stone has invoked the 5th with the Committee, as has Mike Flynn, says Cheney.

On 1/5, Trump told Meadows to speak to Flynn and Stone about 1/6. Meadows called both of them on the evening of the 5th, says Hutchinson.

Meadows had a conversation with her about getting secret service so he could go to meeting with Giuliani and others at the Willard "war room"

She told him "it wasn't a smart idea" because she knew enough about what Giuliani "were pushing." She made clear to Meadows she thought it was not "appropriate."

He told her he would dial in instead.

In a deposition, Cheney asked Flynn if he thought the violence on Jan. 6 was justified.

Flynn invoked the Fifth.

Flynn invoked the Fifth WHEN ASKED IF HE BELIEVED IN THE PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER.

On 1/6, when she tried to get to Meadows about the unfolding violence at the Capitol, Hutchinson said Meadows needed to "snap out of it;" she pointed out that the rioters were getting close and might get to his friend Jim Jordan.

After the mob broke into the Capitol, Cipollone came looking for Meadows, who was just scrolling on his phone. Cipollone tried to get Meadows to see Trump, and Meadows said, "he doesn't want to do anything, Pat."

Pat warned Meadows "blood is going to be on your hands'

About the "hang Mike Pence" chants, Cipollone told Meadows something needs to be done; Meadows told Cipollone, "you heard him [Trump]... he doesn't think they're doing anything wrong"

"Mike deserves it," Trump said.

Then came the tweet, at 2:24, that Pence didn't have the courage to do what needed to be done.