One of the more highly contested moments of the Jan. 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol was then President Donald Trump's actions inside his armored vehicle following his speech at the Ellipse. Previous statements have now been called into question following newly released testimony, The New York Times reported on Monday.
The new transcripts of the driver of the presidential limousine that day contradict one of the more lurid details made from a White House aide during the House Jan. 6 committee.
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, claimed that Anthony Ornato, a senior Secret Service official, told her that Trump "reached up towards the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel." Yet, the driver of the vehicle claims that Trump never lunged for the steering wheel or became physical with the agents."
"The president was insistent on going to the Capitol," recounted the driver, whose name was not disclosed. "It was clear to me he wanted to go to the Capitol. He was not screaming at [his lead agent] Mr. [Robert] Engel. He was not screaming at me. Certainly, his voice was raised, but it did not seem to me that he was irate — certainly not, certainly didn't seem as irritated or agitated as he had on the way to the Ellipse."
"I did not see him reach," the Secret Service driver told investigators for the House panel. "He never grabbed the steering wheel. I didn't see him, you know, lunge to try to get into the front seat at all. You know, what stood out was the irritation in his voice, more than his physical presence."
The latest transcript comes on top of a further revelation on Saturday by Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., who claimed that Trump had ordered 10,000 National Guard troops to secure the capital and was turned down. "The former J6 Select Committee apparently withheld Mr. Ornato's critical witness testimony from the American people because it contradicted their pre-determined narrative," Loudermilk wrote in a statement.