Donald Trump: “Take the effing mags away.”
“We’re going to get charged with every crime imaginable” – Pat Cipollone to Cassidy Hutchinson
PRESS RELEASE Contact: [email protected]
For Immediate Release
Date: June 28, 2022
Washington, DC – In the sixth hearing of the January 6th Select Committee, we heard from former Trump White House staffer Cassidy Hutchinson about what she witnessed in the days leading up to January 6th and the day of the violent attack on our country, including an incident where Trump allegedly tried to take control of his vehicle to drive to the Capitol and assaulted his head of security.
“This is the most damning testimony yet: Trump knowingly incited a mob with weapons to go to the Capitol to overturn an election he knew he lost,” said Defend Democracy Project Communications Director Nicole Haley. “Trump was willing to use violence in order to get what he wanted, even by laying hands on his staff himself. Trump and his MAGA allies must be held accountable for their actions and the ongoing plot to overturn the will of the people.”
1. Trump and his staff were told that his supporters who came to the Stop The Steal Rally had weapons, including guns, and involved violent extremist groups.
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- Hutchinson testified about a meeting where Meadows was informed about military-grade weapons present at the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally and “did not act on concerns” of violence.
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- Hutchinson said that former White House chief of operations Anthony Ornato and the Secret Service informed Donald Trump that his supporters had weapons.
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- Hutchinson said she heard “Oathkeepers” and “Proud Boys” being mentioned when Giuliani was present in meetings planning the rally.
2. After being informed they had weapons, Trump encouraged his supporters with military-grade weapons to go to the Capitol anyway.
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- Trump was angry that security wasn’t letting people through to the Ellipse rally with weapons and reportedly said, “I don’t care if they have weapons, they aren’t here to hurt me. Take the effing mags away and let them in.”
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- After summoning his supporters to a “wild” rally on January 6th, Trump knowingly encouraged armed supporters to go to the Capitol.
3. The march on the Capitol was premeditated by Trump. Not spur of the moment as previously suggested by MAGA allies.
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- Trump pushed for armed protesters to attend his Ellipse rally, demanding that security “let them in,” and encouraging them to “fight” the election results at the Capitol.
4. The Trump administration was aware that the January 6th rally would likely become violent.
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- Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe warned Hutchinson he was ‘concerned’ that Trump’s plans to overturn the 2020 election, “could spiral and potentially be dangerous.”
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- Meadows reportedly told Hutchinson, “Things might get real, real bad on January 6th,” days before the rally.
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- Hutchinson said Meadows had a “lack of reaction” when told about the violence at the Capitol.
5. Kevin McCarthy warned the White House against allowing Trump to come to the Capitol. Trump lawyer Pat Cipollone said he was worried about Trump going to the Capitol and the conspiracy in general.
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- Cipollone reportedly warned Hutchinson, “We’re going to get charged with every crime imaginable if we make that movement [to the Capitol].”
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- Cipollone told Hutchinson he was worried about getting charged with obstruction of justice and defrauding the electoral college count.
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- After Trump told the rally they would march to the Capitol, Kevin McCarthy called Hutchinson and urged her to fix it and not come.
6. Donald Trump was “irate” and physically tried to grab the wheel of the vehicle from his Secret Service driver in a desperate attempt to join the mob at the Capitol
- “I’m the f*** president, take me up to the Capitol now,” Trump reportedly said. He then lunged for the front of the car, and at Secret Service Agent Robert Engel, to try and take the wheel.
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This criminal conspiracy extends well beyond the violence perpetrated on January 6, 2021, that injured 140 police officers, including making it harder for people to vote, attempting to appoint bogus electors to overturn the will of voters, and intimidating state officials to change the results in contested states.
Getting to the truth during these hearings and then demanding accountability at the courts and the ballot box is how we stop the current MAGA campaign to sabotage future elections by changing state laws, threatening state officials, and packing election administration offices so that they can have the final say over election results – even when they lose.
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