Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows predicted things would get ‘real real bad’ on Jan 6, witness tells hearing
Meadows and other Trump allies knew of reports of weapons as the riot unfolded
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.White House chief of staff Mark Meadows predicted to one of his own aides that things would get “real, real bad” on January, suggesting that the Trump team knew that their supporters planned to storm the Capitol or commit violence in the days before the attack on Jan 6.
Mr Meadows’s aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified that Mr Meadows told her his fears directly after she told him that Rudy Giuliani had informed her that then-President Donald Trump was planning to go and join his supporters at the US Capitol after his speech on the day of the riot.
"Are you excited for the 6th? It's going to be a great day," Mr Giuliani told Ms Hutchinson, she testified. "We're going to the Capitol. It's going to be great. The president is going to be there, he's going to look powerful.”
Afterwards, she told the committee, she felt real fear about the violence that was about to unfold on Jan 6.
"That evening was the first moment that I remember feeling scared and nervous about what could happen on Jan 6. I had a deeper concern with what was happening with the planning aspect,” she told lawmakers.
The former White House aide, who served as a liason between the office and Capitol Hill, went on to detail to lawmakers how Donald Trump openly explained that he didn’t “f**** care” after he was informed that his supporters in the city and around the Capitol had guns, knives, clubs, and even AR-15s which are totally banned from private ownership in the District of Columbia.
The shocking testimony is the first real look from a White House official detailing that Donald Trump and his allies knew specifically that his fans planned to commit violence against their political enemies in an attempt to overturn the election, and were moving forward with their plans and attempts to do so anyway.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments