In the public hearings so far, the House Select Committee on January 6 has marshaled facts in fastidious detail showing that former President Trump's attempted coup was plotted and organized by the president himself with the help of his chosen accomplices and enabled by Cabinet members, aides and staffers who knew it was wrong but said nothing. The first four hearings made it clear that Trump and his henchmen knew the election had not been stolen and yet they insisted to his followers that it had been. They launched spurious lawsuits, pressured election officials, tried to corrupt the Department of Justice and strong-armed Vice President Mike Pence all in an attempt to overturn the election. But we hadn't heard any direct testimony — until yesterday — that Trump was aware in advance that Jan. 6 could turn violent but incited the mob anyway. Now we know that he even knew that day that many in the crowd were armed. Thanks to Cassidy Hutchinson.
The former Trump White House aide and assistant to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows gave extended live testimony on Tuesday about the tumultuous days leading up to Jan. 6 and on the day itself. There were colorful anecdotes about the president throwing his lunch against the wall when he heard that former Attorney General Bill Barr had told the press there was no vote fraud and a somnolent Meadows telling a frantic White House Counsel Pat Cipollone that Trump didn't want to stop the riot because Pence deserved it. Her testimony that she was told Trump had tried to grab the wheel of the presidential SUV and force the driver to take him to the Capitol after his speech on the 6th has dominated the media, however, mainly because a source has disputed her account so that gives them a juicy "he said/she said" storyline.
