Testimony Of Cassidy Hutchinson Falls Apart As New Reports Surface About Secret Service
Posted By Ruth King on June 30th, 2022
The explosive testimony delivered by former White House official Cassidy Hutchinson Tuesday to the January 6 House select committee appears to be falling apart as more reports surface of pushback coming from the U.S. Secret Service and other individuals.
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, claimed that Trump on the day of the January 6 rally tried to get Secret Service to take him to the U.S. Capitol building, and that he became enraged when they would not do it because the area was not secure.
Hutchinson claimed that Trump tried to grab the steering wheel of the armored presidential limousine and that Bobby Engel, who was the lead security detail, had to tell him, “Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel.” Hutchinson claimed that Trump then lunged at and assaulted the agent.
Hutchinson claims that she was told this information from Anthony Ornato, a senior Secret Service official who was detailed to the White House and served as deputy chief of operations.
CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz reported that “a Secret Service official familiar with the matter told CNN that Tony Ornato denies telling Cassidy Hutchinson that the former president grabbed the steering wheel or an agent on his detail.”
John Santucci, executive editorial producer for ABC News, added that the Secret Service is expected to come out and deny Hutchinson’s claims.
“Source close to the Secret Service tells @PierreTABC to expect the Secret Service to push back against any allegation of an assault against an agent or President Trump reaching for the steering wheel,” Santucci said.
“Tony Ornato is denying that he told Cassidy Hutchinson Trump grabbed the steering wheel in presidential vehicle on 1/6 or lunged at a fellow agent, a USSS official tells @joshscampbell,” Gabby Orr, a CNN reporter, tweeted. “CNN confirms that Ornato & Engel are prepared to testify that neither incident occurred.”
NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander tweeted, “A source close to the Secret Service tells me both Bobby Engel, the lead agent, and the presidential limousine/SUV driver are prepared to testify under oath that neither man was assaulted and that Mr. Trump never lunged for the steering wheel.”
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