Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson claims without providing further evidence that former President Donald Trump said the word “hang” as he was watching rioters chant “hang Mike Pence” as the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection unfolded on a TV in the dining room off the Oval Office, according to an excerpt of Hutchinson’s new book read out by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow I take a few steps back as Mark takes my place in the doorway and strain to listen to both conversations,” Hutchinson wrote. “The TV in the Oval dining room is blaring, and the president is yelling. What’s he saying? I can’t make it out.
Trump has denied saying Pence deserved to be hanged, calling Hutchinson a liar. Meadows has not publicly commentedHe previously defended the rioters who chanted for Pence to be hangedI hear him say ‘hang’ repeatedly. Hang? What’s that about? Mark hands his phone back to me, the cue for me to return to my deskLast year, Hutchinson testified before the House Jan. 6 committee that she overheard then-White House counsel Pat Cipollone and then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows recounting Trump’s reaction when told rioters were chanting “Hang Mike Pence!”that he responded he deserves
Were you worried about him during that siege? Were you worried about his safety?” ABC Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl asked Trump in March No, I thought he was well-protected, and I had heard that he was in good shape No, because uh I had heard he was in very good shape. But, but no I think Trump responded Because you heard those chants, that was terrible. I mean, you know, those,” Karl said, to which Trump replied, “He could have — well, the people were very angry In her new book, “Enough,” Hutchinson also reportedly made additional claims about the alleged chaotic nature of the final days of the Trump presidency, including Meadows regularly burning documents in the fireplace of his office
According to the New York Times, the Guardian and CNN, Hutchinson wrote that Meadows burned so many documents in his office that his wife complained about the dry-cleaning cost of his suits to get rid of “bonfire” smellMeadows’ spokesperson told CNN that the account has been mischaracterized, claiming Meadows often used old newspaper to start his office fireplace and that it had “nothing to do with documentsDuring her testimony before the House Jan. 6 committee last year, Hutchinson similarly testified that then-White House chief of staff Meadows burned papers in his office after meeting with Rep. Scott Perry, who was the chair of the House Freedom Caucus Appearing on “The Rachel Maddow Show” Monday night, Hutchinson described alleged mishandling of classified documents during the final days of the Trump administration as “reckless and careles
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