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."

UPDATE: 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.

-- Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) June 29, 2022

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.

New: 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.
-- John Santucci (@Santucci) June 28, 2022

"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."

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. CNN confirms that
Ornato & Enger are prepared to testify that neither incident
occurred.

-- Gabby Orr (@GabbyOrr_) June 29, 2022

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."

--
Let's go Brandon!

On 2022-06-29 at 07:05:15 MDT, "Ubiquitous" <weberm@polaris.net> wrote:

> 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.

They always overplay it. Now the 1/6 committee has shot itself in the foot,
shifting attention away from Trump and toward Hutchinson and the committee
itself. I suppose we should be happy that their competence does not equal
their malice.