Mr Chairman. We will begin today with an exchange that first provided
Miss Hutchinson a tangible sense of the ongoing planning for the
events of January 6th.
On January 2nd four days before the attack on our capital, President
Trump's lead lawyer, Mr Giuliani was meeting with White House chief
of staff Mark Meadows and others.
Miss Hutchinson, Do you remember Mr Giuliani meeting with Mr Meadows
on January 2nd 2021.
I do. He met with Mr Meadows in the evening of January. 2nd 2021.
And we understand that you walked Mr Giuliani out of the White house
that night. Um and he talks to you about January 6th. What do you
remember him, saying?
As Mr Giuliani and I were walking to his vehicles that evening.
He looked at me and said something to the effect of cast. Are you
excited for the sixth? It's going to be a great day.
I remember looking at him saying, Rudy, could you explain what's
happening on the sixth?
And he had responded something to the effect of we're going to the
capital. It's going to be great president is going to be there. He's
going to look powerful. He's going to get the members he's going
to be with the senators.
Talk to the chief about it. Talk to the chief about it. He knows
about it.
And did you go back then? Up to the West Wing and tell Mr Meadows
about your conversation with Mr Giuliani? I did after Mr Giuliani
had left the campus that evening. I went back up to our office and
I found Mr Meadows in his office on the couch.
The scrolling through his phone, remember leaning against the doorway
and saying Sudden, interesting conversation is broody Mark.
Sounds like we're going to go to the capital.
He didn't look up from his phone and said something to the effect
of there's a lot going on, CASS, but I don't know.
Things might get real real bad on January 6th.
Miss Hutchinson. Mr Meadows is engaged in litigation with the committee
to try to avoid testifying here.
What? What was your reaction when he said to you, things might get
real real bad.
In the days before January, 2nd
I was apprehensive about the six I had heard general plans for a
rally. I'd heard tentative movements to potentially go to the capital.
But
When hearing Rudy's take on January 6th and then mark's response.
That was the first that evening was the first moment.
That I remember feeling scared.
And nervous for what could happen on January six, and I had a deeper
concern for
What was happening.
With the planning aspects of it.
Thank you, Mr Jensen. Today we're going to be focusing primarily
on the events of January 5th and sixth at the White House, but to
begin and to frame the discussion, I want to talk about a conversation
that you had.
Mr John Ratcliffe, the director of National intelligence, and you
had this conversation in December of 2020.
Mr Ratcliffe was nominated by President Trump to oversee US intelligence
are the U. S intelligence community.
Uh, And before his appointment, Mr. Ratcliffe was Republican member
of Congress.
As you will see on this clip Director. Radcliffe's comments in December
of 2020 were prescient.
My understanding was Mr Wright director. Ratcliffe didn't want much
to do with the post election period.
I just felt that
it wasn't something that the White House should be pursuing
felt was dangerous for the president's legacy. He
had expressed me that he was concerned that it could spiral out of
control and potentially
be dangerous either
for our democracy or
Way that things were going for the sex.
When you say it wasn't something the way that I should be. What's
the
trying to fight the results of the election finding missing ballots
pressuring
filing lawsuits in certain states, religions seem to be significant
evidence and reaching out.
The Legislature is about
That's pretty much the way that the White House is handling the first
election period, felt that there could be dangerous Repercussions
in terms of precedent set for elections for our democracy for the
sex was hoping that we would conceive.
So Miss Hutchinson. Now we're going to turn to certain information
that was available before January 4th and what the Trump administration
and the president knew about the potential for violence before January,
6th
On the screen. You will see an email received by acting Deputy Attorney
General Donahue on January 4th from the National Security Division
of the Department of Justice.
Mr Donohue testified in our hearings last week.
The email identifies apparent planning by those coming to Washington
on January 6th two quote, occupy federal buildings and discussions
of quote invading the Capitol building.
Here's what Mr Donohue said to us.
And we knew that if you have
Tens of thousands of very upsetting people showing up in Washington,
D. C that there was potential for a while.
U. S Secret Service was looking at similar information and watching
the planned demonstrations.
In fact, their intelligence division sent several emails to White
House personnel like Deputy Chief of staff Tony or Nado and the head
of the president's protective detail. Robert Engle.
Including certain materials, listing events like those on the screen.
The White House continued to receive updates about planned demonstrations,
including information regarding the proud boys organizing and planning
to attend events on January 6th.
Although Miss Hutchinson has no detailed knowledge of any planning
involving the proud boys for January, 6th. She did note this
I recall hearing
the word of keeper and hearing the word, proud boys closer to the
planning of the January 6th rally when Mr Giuliani would be around
On January 3rd. The Capitol police issued a special event assessment.
In that document. The Capitol police noted that the proud boys and
other groups planned to be in Washington, D. C on January 6th and
indicated that quote, unlike previous post election protests,
The targets of the pro Trump supporters are not necessarily the counter
protesters as they were previously, but rather, Congress itself is
the target on the sixth.
Of course, we all know now that the proud boys showed up on January,
6th marched from the Washington Monument to the Capitol that day
and lead the riotous mob to invade and occupy our capital.
Miss Hutchinson. I want to play you a clip of one of our meetings
when you described the call on January 4th that you received from
National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien on the same topic. Potential
violence on January 6th.
I received a call from Robert O'Brien, the national security adviser.
He had asked if he could speak with Mr Meadows about potential violent
words of violence that he was hearing that were
potentially going to happen on the hill in January six. I had asked
if you connected with Tony or nado.
Because Tony Renato had a conversation with him with mark about that
topic, Robert had said, I'll talk to Tony. And then, um, I don't
know Robert ever connected with mark about this ship.
Mr Jensen, can you describe for us Mr or Nadeau's responsibilities
as deputy chief of staff?
The deputy chief of staff position at the White House for operations
is arguably one of the most important positions that somebody can
hold.
They're in charge of all security protocol for the campus and all
presidential protectors, primarily the president and the first family,
but anything that requires security for
Any individual that has
Presidential protection. So the chief of staff or the national security
advisor as well as the vice president's team, too.
Tony would oversee all of that. Here's the conduit for security protocol
between White House staff and the United States Secret Service.
Thank you. And you also described brief meeting between Mr or Nado
and Mr Meadows on the potential for violence. The meeting was on
January 4th. They were talking about the potential for violence on
January 6th. Let's listen to a clip of that testimony.
Remember, Mr or Nado has had talked to him about intelligence reports.
Remember Mr Renato coming in and saying that we had Intel reports
saying that there could potentially be violence on this on the sixth.
You also told us about reports of violence and weapons that the Secret
Service were receiving on the night of January 5th and throughout
the day on January, 6th is that correct? That's correct.
There are reports that police in Washington, D C had arrested several
people with firearms or ammunition. Following a separate pro Trump
rally in Freedom Plaza on the evening of January. 5th.
Are those some of the reports that you recall hearing about?
They are.
Of course, the world now knows that the people who attacked the capital
on January 6th had many different types of weapons.
When the president speaks. The Secret Service typically requires
those attending to pass through metal detectors known as magnetometers,
or mags for short
The select committee has learned that people who willingly entered
the enclosed area for President Trump's speech were screened so they
could attend the rally at the Ellipse.
They had weapons and other items that were confiscated. Pepper spray
knives, brass knuckles, Tasers, body armor, gas masks, batons, blunt
weapons.
And those were just from the people who chose to go through the security
for the president's event on the Ellipse, not the several 1000 members
of the crowd, who refused to go through the mags and watched from
the lawn near the Washington Monument.
The select committee has learned about reports from outside the magnetometers.
And has obtained police radio transmissions identifying individuals
with firearms, including a AR fifteen's near the Ellipse. On the
morning of January, 6th.
Let's listen.
Individuals in a tree view white male, about six FT. Tall
brown cowboy. He's got blue jeans and a blue jean jacket and underneath
the putting jacket. Complaints
are 50
with a group of individuals about 58.
The other individuals. Two of the individuals in that group at the
base of the tree
ring green fatigues, green Olive drafthouse, skinny.
Any white males brown cowboy boots, Glocks pistols in their waistband.
87 36 with the message that subject
weapon on his right hip
tree motor one. Make sure ppd knows they have an elevator.
It's what
In the tree south side of Constitution Avenue. Look for the adult
flag. American flag facemask cowboy boots. Weapon on the white right
side. Hip. Three men walking down the street and fatigue carry 15
copy of
independent. Hmm.
AR fifteen's at 14th and independence.
As you saw in those emails. The first report that we showed we now
know was sent in the eight o'clock hour on January 6th. This talked
about people in the crowd wearing ballistic helmets and body armor.
Carrying radio equipment and military grade backpacks.
The second report. We showed you on the screen was sent by the Secret
Service in the 11 a.m. our and it addressed reports of a man with