Donald Trump is “frightened” about the public learning of his alleged involvement in the Capitol riots, a former aide to ex-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, has said.
Speaking on Inside With Jen Psaki on MSNBC, Cassidy Hutchinson said Trump feels “threatened” about the public finding out the truth about the riots, when supporters of then-president Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, to protest the results of the 2020 election.
Hutchinson testified before the House January 6 committee in 2022 and claimed that Trump was aware some of his supporters were armed on January 6, but still told them to march to the Capitol, and that he didn’t care that his supporters were chanting “hang Mike Pence” during the riot.
Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Asked about Trump attacking her on social media for speaking out against him, Hutchinson said: “I know when he starts to get nervous. I know that Donald Trump has to be nervous if not extremely frightened right now because what is happening is he is deploying his most loyal allies on Capitol Hill to try to discredit not only my testimony but the entire January 6. investigation as a whole.”
“He doesn’t want the facts out there because he doesn’t want the American people to know what actually happened,” she continued. “He’s hoping that his false narrative of what actually happened on January 6 is what the American people will believe.”
She added Trump is trying to “smear” facts with “deceits and his lies” and that he knew there were weapons in the crowd during the riots. She also said those who speak out against Trump might end up needing security.
“Donald Trump lashes out when he feels threatened and he’s lashing out right now because he does not want the American people to know that he was responsible for the single most egregious attack on our democracy,” Hutchinson said.
If people don’t stop him, America may be “tumbling towards a dictatorship,” she warned.
Newsweek contacted a representative for Trump by email to comment on this story.
Last year, Hutchinson urged people to vote for President Joe Biden in the next election so that democracy survives.
.@casshutchinson_: “The only reason that I will not endorse a candidate right now is because I still am hopeful that Donald Trump does not end up being the nominee next year… But I will say, I think everybody should vote for Joe Biden if they want our democracy to survive.” pic.twitter.com/XgPM9KABLF
— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) November 21, 2023
She said: “If Donald Trump is elected president again in 2024. I do fear that it will be the last election where we’re voting for democracy because if he is elected again, I don’t think that we’ll be voting under the same constitution that we would be…if Joe Biden is elected in 2024.”
In another interview, she said the Republican has a “temper” and should not be given access to nuclear codes.
In August, Trump was indicted on four felony charges for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the Capitol riot: conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and continues to deny any wrongdoing.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.