GOP Report Claims Trump’s Jan. 6 Driver Disputes Secret Service Altercation Testimony

(BrightPress.org) – A House oversight subcommittee is challenging the accuracy of claims made by Cassidy Hutchinson, an ex-Trump aide, regarding the former president’s behavior and actions on January 6th, 2021. The subcommittee, led by Republican Representative Barry Loudermilk from Georgia, submitted an 81-page report claiming the lawmakers on the original Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol were more focused on promoting their own narrative than determining the truth.

Hutchinson testified before the Democratic-led House select committee in June 2022. During her testimony, she recalled events she claimed were described to her by members of Trump’s security detail, Bobby Engel and Tony Ornato. Hutchinson claims she was told that once Trump entered the armored vehicle, he asked to go to the Capitol and became irate when his security team denied his request. According to Hutchinson’s testimony, Trump tried to grab the steering wheel and even lunged at Engel.

The new report includes testimony from four other White House Employees that does not corroborate Hutchinson’s story. The driver of Trump’s armored vehicle was interviewed by the original committee in November 2022. The unnamed driver claims Trump never tried to lunge or grab the steering wheel. Tony Ornato was also interviewed in November 2022 and stated he did not remember the events happening as described by Hutchinson.

The new report from the subcommittee led by Loudermilk focuses on the fact that the Select Committee chose to promote Hutchinson’s testimony as fact even though the driver and other employees testified under oath that her story was incorrect.

Trump, as a guest on the John Solomon Reports podcast, said Hutchinson’s story was “false” and “ridiculous.” He confirmed that he did ask the Secret Service to go to the Capitol, but accepted the answer when he was told it would not be safe. Trump also said that with the amount of “things” between the back and front seats of the SUV, it may not even be possible to lunge into the front seat.