CNN is reporting that two sources inside the Secret Service are corroborating Cassidy Hutchinson’s recent testimony that Donald Trump demanded to go to the Capitol on January 6 and was irate when his protective detail would not oblige.
In her explosive testimony before the congressional subcommittee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot, Hutchinson alleged Trump demanded to go to the Capitol with supporters he knew were armed and lunged at Robert Engel, the Secret Service agent in charge of his protective detail. Trump has denied this ever happened.
On Friday, CNN reported that two sources within the Secret Service have confirmed they heard stories about Trump’s behavior on Jan. 6 that are similar to Hutchinson’s allegations.
The agents confirmed Trump “angrily demanded to go to the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and berated his protective detail when he didn’t get his way,” according to CNN reporters Noah Gray and Zachary Cohen. One of the sources allegedly heard directly from the driver of the vehicle. Hutchinson claimed Trump tried taking control of the steering wheel after discovering he was being taken back to the White House after his speech to supporters.
Neither source confirmed there was a physical altercation, but both said stories were going around in the weeks and months following January 6 regarding the incident.
“He had sort of lunged forward — it was unclear from the conversations I had that he actually made physical contact, but he might have. I don’t know,” one source told the outlet. “Nobody said Trump assaulted him; they said he tried to lunge over the seat — for what reason, nobody had any idea.”
That source also said there were numerous stories that circulated among agents about Trump’s “fits of anger,” which included throwing plates. Hutchinson testified she knew of at least one incident where the former president allegedly threw a plate of food against the wall in a moment of anger. Trump also denied this happened.
Another source did say Engel denied Trump attacked him or lunged for the steering wheel, but confirmed Hutchinson’s claim that Trump was demanding to be taken to the Capitol.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Mediaite