Thank you, madam Vice chair.
As you've seen In our prior hearings, President Trump summoned the
mob to D. C on January 6th.
Before he went on stage. He knew some of them were armed and prepared
for combat.
During his speech, he implored them to march to the capital, as he
had always planned to do.
By the time he walked off the stage, his supporters had already breached
the outer perimeter of the capital at the foot of Capitol Hill.
Since our last hearings, we've received new testimony from a security
professional working in the White House complex on January six, with
access to relevant information and responsibility to report to national
security officials.
This security official told us that the White House was aware of
multiple reports of weapons in the crowd that morning.
We as a committee.
Cognizant of the fear of retribution expressed by certain national
security witnesses who have come forward to tell the truth. We have
therefore taken steps to protect this national security individual's
identity.
Listen to this clip from their testimonies
from the people.
About this idea of the presidential opt to the capital.
To be completely honest.
We were all in the state of strong
Because why
Because it's just
One. I think the actual physical feasibility of doing it and then
also, we all knew about inflated came with that means that this was
no longer a rally that this was going to move to something else that
you physically walked to the capital.
I don't know if you want to use the word instruction CU. Whatever
we all knew that this would move from a normal
Democratic, You know public events into something else. What was
what was driving that sentiment considering
This. This this part of it. The actual capital has happened yet.
Why were we are alarmed?
The president wanted to leave
thousands of people to the capital.
I think that was enough grounds for us to be aligned.
Even though he understood many of his supporters were armed. The
president was still adamant to go to the capital when he got off
the stage at the Ellipse.
But his secret Service detail was equally determined to not let him
go.
That led to a heated argument with the detail that delayed the Parcher
of the motorcade to the White House.
We have evidence from multiple sources regarding an angry exchange
in the presidential SUV, including testimony we will disclose today
from two witnesses who confirmed that a confrontation occurred.
The first witness is a former White House employee with national
security responsibilities.
After seeing the initial violence at the Capitol on TV, the individual
went to see Tony or Nado, the deputy chief of staff in his office.
Mr Toronado was there with Bobby Angle, the president's lead Secret
service agent.
This employee told us that Mr O Nado said that the president was
quote irate when Mr Ingle refused to drive him to the capital.
Mr Engle did not refute what Mr or Nado said.
The second witness is retired Sergeant Mark Robinson of the D. C
Police department who was assigned to the president's motorcade that
day.
He sat in the lead vehicle with a Secret service agent responsible
for the motorcade also called the T s, a agent.
Here's how Sergeant Robinson remembered the exchange.
Was there any description of what of what was occurring in the car?
No, only that on the only description I received was that the president
was upset.
And that was adamant about going to the capital, and there was a
heated discussion about that.
And when you say he did is that your order is that the word that
was described by the T s a agent
described by the T s a meaning that the president was upset.
And he was saying there was a heated argument or discussion.
About going to the capital. About how many times would you say you've
been part of that motorcade with the president?
Ha!
Carly over 100 times.
Uh, And in that 100 times have you ever
Uh, witnessed another discussion of argument or heated discussion
with the president.
Where the president was contradicting where he was supposed to go,
or what the secret Service believe was safe.
No.
Like other witnesses. Sergeant Robinson also testified that he was
aware that individuals in the crowd were armed.
Yes, I believe he was on special Events Channel and
I was monitoring the traffics. And so I can hear some of the unit
29 2 individuals that there were individuals are along Constitution
Avenue that we're arm that we're up in the trees and I can hear the
units responding to those individuals.
So that's always a concern when there's a police
in the area.
And like other witnesses, Sergeant Robinson told us that the president
still wanted to travel to the capital even after returning to the
White House.
So at the end of the speech, What was the plan supposed to be?
So at the end of the speech, we do know that while inside the limo,
the president was still um, adamant about going to the capital That's
been released to me by the T s a agent. And so we did part the Ellipse
and we responded back to the White House, however.
We, the motorcade to produce motorcade was placed on standby.
And so we were told to stand by, um, on the West exact until they
confirm whether or not president was going to go to the capital.
And so I may have waited. I would just estimate maybe 45 to 45 minutes
to an hour, Um, waiting for Secret service to make that decision.
The motorcade waited at the White House for more than 45 minutes
before being released.
The committee is also aware that accounts of the angry confrontation
in the presidential SUV have circulated widely among the secret service
since January, 6th
Recent disclosures have also caused the committee to subpoena yet
further information from the Secret Service, which we began to receive
and will continue to assess
The committee is also aware that certain Secret service witnesses
have now retained new private counsel. We anticipate further testimony
under oath and other new information in the coming weeks.
After the Secret Service refused to take President Trump to the capital.
He returned to the White House.
What you see on the screen is a photo of him inside the Oval Office
immediately after we returned from the rally, still wearing his overcoat.
A White House employee informed the president
As soon as he returned to the oval about the riot at the Capitol.
Let me repeat that. Within 15 minutes of leaving the stage, President
Trump knew that the capital was besieged and under attack.
At 1 25 President Trump went to the private dining room off the Oval
Office.
From 1 25 until four o'clock, the president stayed in his dining
room.
Just to give you a sense of where the dining room is situated in
the West Wing. Let's take a look at this floor plan.
The dining room is connected to the Oval Office by a short hallway.
Witnesses told us that on January 6th president Trump sat in his
usual spot.
At the head of the table facing a television hanging on the wall.
We know from the employee. The TV was tuned to Fox News all afternoon.
Here. You can see Fox News on the TV showing coverage of the joint
session that was airing that day at 1 25.
Other witnesses confirmed that President Trump was in the dining
room with the TV on for more than 2.5 hours.
There was no official record of what President Trump did while in
the dining room.
On the screen is the presidential call log from January 6th.
As you can see, there is no official record.
President Trump receiving or placing a call between 11 06 and 6 54.
PM
As to what the president was doing that afternoon. The presidential
Daily diary is also silent.
It contains no information from the period between 1:21 P.m. and
403. PM
There are also no photos of President Trump during this critical
period between 1 21 in the Oval Office, and when he went outside
to the Rose Garden after four o'clock
The chief White House photographer wanted to take pictures because
it was in her words very important for his archives and for history.
But she was told, quote
No photographs.
Despite the lack of photos or an official record, we've learned what
President Trump was doing while he was watching TV and the dining
room.
But before we get into that, it's important to understand what he
never did that day. Let's watch
So are you aware of any phone call by the president of the United
States to the secretary of defense that day?
Not that I'm aware of. No
Are you aware of any phone call by the president of United States
to the attorney general of the United States that day.
Aware of any phone call by the president of the United States, the
secretary of homeland security that day.
I'm not aware of that. No.
Did you ever get a vice president or Excuse me? The president?
Did you ever hear the president asked for law enforcement response.
No. So as somebody who worked in the national security space and
with the National Security Council if there were going to be troops
present or called up for
A rally in Washington, D C. For example. Is that something that you
would have been aware I wouldn't
do you know if you asked anybody
To reach out to any of those that we just listed off National Guard
D O D F B I
Homeland Security Secret Service Mayor Bowser the Capitol police
about the situation in the capital. I'm not
Aware of any of those requests.
No, sir.
We have confirmed in numerous interviews with senior law enforcement
and military leaders.
President, Pence's staff and DC government officials. None of them
not one.
Heard from President Trump that day.
He did not call to issue orders. He did not call to offer assistance.
This week, we received a distress additional testimony from yet another
witness about why the president didn't make any efforts to quell
the attack.
The former White House employee with national security responsibilities.
Told us about a conversation with senior adviser Erik Hersman and
Pat Sip Aloni.
The top White House lawyer.
This conversation was about a pending call from the Pentagon seeking
to coordinate on the response to the attack.
Mr Hirschmann turned to Mr Salt Zip Aloni and said
The president didn't want to do anything.
And so Mr Smith, Bologna had to take the call himself.
President Trump wasn't calling law enforcement or military leaders.
What did President Trump spent his time doing that afternoon while
first settled into the dining room?
He was calling senators to encourage them to delay or object to the
certification. Here's Kayleigh McEnany, his press secretary, to explain
Yeah.
Alright, that's that's back there and he wants list of senators,
and then he's calling them one by one. Do you know which ones he
called?
The best of my recollection. No. Um, As I say in my notes, he wanted
a list of the senators and you know I left him at at that point.
Because the presidential call log is empty. We do not yet know precisely
which senators President Trump was calling.
But we do know from Rudy Giuliani's phone records that President
Trump also called him at 1 39.
After he had been told that the riot was underway at the Capitol.
Mr Giuliani was President Trump's lead election law attorney
According to the phone records. The president's call with him lasted
approximately four minutes.
Recall that Fox News was on in the dining room. Let's take a look
at what was airing as this call was ending.
The president, as we all saw, fired this crowd up. They've all tens
of thousands, Maybe 100,000 or more have gone down to the capital
or elsewhere in the city, and they're very upset. Now. I jumped down
as soon as we heard the news that Brett gave you about Mike Pence's
start talking to these people. I said, What do you think? One woman
and Air Force veteran from Missouri?
Said she was quote, disgusted to hear that news and that it was his
duty to do something and I told her I said there's nothing in the
Constitution unilaterally that Vice President Pinsky do, she said.
That doesn't matter. He should have fought for Trump.
And 1 49. Here's what was happening at the Capitol with President
Trump's fired up supporters.
To give a warning
to try and get compliance
effectively a riot.
49 hours declaring it a riot.
What did President Trump do at 1 49 as the D C police at the same
time, we're declaring a riot at the Capitol.
As you can see on the screen.
He tweeted out a link to the recording of his Ellipse speech.
This was the same speech in which he knowingly sent an armed mob
to the capital. But President Trump named no comment about the lawlessness
and the violence.
I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.