Former aide Cassidy Hutchinson also testified that Trump complained that his then-vice president was being taken to a safe place while Trump supporters broke the Capitol, sources said. Hutchinson has been answering panel questions for three separate sessions, CNN reported earlier. Last week he discussed “new ground” with the committee, although it was not immediately clear what was said during the statement.
Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich said the “vague leaks” of the “partisan” committee were “just an extension of the Democratic smear campaign that has been repeatedly exposed for being fabricated and dishonest,” he added. that “Americans are tired of the Democrat.” lies and gossip, but unfortunately it’s all they have to offer. “
A spokesman for the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 uprising declined to comment on the two issues, which were first reported by The New York Times.
A Meadows attorney declined to comment to CNN. A Hutchinson attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
In a rally that preceded the Capitol riot, Trump told the crowd, “Mike Pence, I hope you are committed to the good of our Constitution and the good of our country.”
After Pence said he did not believe he had the authority to reject Electoral College votes, Trump tweeted that “Mike Pence did not have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country. and our Constitution, giving states the opportunity to certify a set of corrected facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones that they were asked to certify beforehand. The US demands the truth! “
Videos of the Capitol during the riots show a man with a megabyte, reading the tweet aloud to others in the mob. Inside, rioters swarmed the aisles and chanted, “Hang Mike Pence.”
This story has been updated with additional reports.
CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this report.