Former Mark Meadows aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified Tuesday that former President Donald Trump pushed for security measures to be set aside for his Jan. 6, 2021 rally, even after being notified that some in the crowd were armed.
Hutchinson spoke Tuesday at a last-minute public hearing organized by the January 6 House Select Committee, after sitting down with the committee four times throughout its investigation.
During one portion of the sworn testimony, Hutchinson was shown on video detailing how Trump allegedly became angered that the magnetometers might slow down the crowd that had gathered in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 to attend his rally. Magnetometers are security devices designed to detect metal objects.
“I was in the vicinity of a conversation where I overheard the president say something to the effect of, ‘I don’t f**ing care that they have weapons,'” Hutchinson told the committee. “‘They’re not here to hurt me. Take the f**ing mags [magnetometers] away. Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here. Let the people in, take the f**ing mags away.'”
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Hutchinson confirmed on Tuesday that it was a “fair assessment” to say she believed, based on the conversation she said she overheard, that Trump wanted the magnetometers taken away because the armed individuals weren’t there to harm him.
The alleged incident occurred before Trump spoke at the rally. During his speech, Trump brought up marching to the Capitol multiple times. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Ginni Thomas Says She Looks ‘Forward To Talking To’ January 6 Committee, Wants To ‘Clear Up Misconceptions’)
“Anyone you want, but I think right here, we’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them,” Trump said at one point during his speech, according to NPR.
“I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” he added shortly afterwards.
During her testimony, Trump dismissed Hutchinson and her remarks in repeated messages on his new social media platform, Truth Social. The former president wrote that he “never complained about the crowd” and said he “didn’t want or request that we make room for people with guns to watch my speech.”
“Who would ever want that? Not me!” Trump wrote. “Besides, there were no guns found or brought into the Capitol Building … So where were all of these guns?”