We know exactly what they’ll be doing at Mar-a-Lago at 1 p.m.
Much speculation flowed yesterday about who the mystery guest is at today’s emergency Jan. 6 committee hearing at 1 p.m. ET. No more hearings were expected until July before Monday’s announcement. The committee itself said only it would “present recently obtained evidence and receive witness testimony.”
Reporting backed up the rumors it would be former Mark Meadows aide Cassidy Hutchinson (CNN):
Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and a witness to many critical events and conversations, is expected to testify publicly on Tuesday before the select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Her planned appearance was first reported by Punchbowl News.
Hutchinson has already been interviewed by the committee behind closed doors and video clips from her deposition have been featured by the panel during earlier hearings. But her live testimony would mark a significant moment in the committee’s series of hearings as Hutchinson has long been considered one of its most consequential witnesses due to her proximity to former President Donald Trump’s then-White House chief of staff.
Prior taped testimony by Hutchinson implicated a set of Trump-adjacent advisers and members of Congress who asked for pardons after the Jan. 6 insurrection. Having her testify in person could prove even more explosive.
The urgency driving today’s snap hearing is unclear. Concerns about the witness’ name being leaked and for the witness’ security are likely, reports CNN:
The security concerns have also led to new precautions being taken inside the hearing room. Another source told CNN that some of the people who had regular front row seats for hearings were told they likely will not get them on Tuesday for security reasons.
Possible violence against must be a concern. Calls for violence against committee members and witnesses are under investigation. Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois received a letter addressed to his wife that included a threat to execute him, his wife and their infant child. Other threats are proliferating on the same online forums that helped stoke the Jan. 6 insurrection. GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming is another likely target.
“Trump summoned the mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack,” Cheney said during the hearings’ opening session.
“We’re in a highly volatile and complex threat period,” John Cohen, the former Department of Homeland Security Counterterrorism Coordinator, told CNN:
An analysis by the group Advance Democracy, a not-for-profit that conducts public interest investigations, shared with CNN found posts on Truth Social calling for the execution of January 6 committee members and others. The researchers searched for specific terms on the platforms like “execute.”
One post on Truth Social includes a picture of a noose and reads, “The J6 committee are guilty of treason. Perpetuation of a insurrection hang them all.”
On another post referencing Cheney, a user posted a GIF of a guillotine with the message, “#MGGA #MakeGuillotinesGreatAgain.”
As the investigative cordon closes around Trump, his communications with cultish followers could spark more violence.
Mob boss as a description of Donald Trump was not a euphemism, was it? An attack on the seat of government by a Trump mob is the very subject of the committee’s investigation.
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