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I hate to use a remedial source who itself does not really
Posted on: September 4, 2025 at 19:31:39 CT
JG MU
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understand English fully BUT:
Is this statement: To this day, they still believe he incapacitated wo Secret Service agents with one arm and drove the beast with the other an accurate summary of Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony? https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/trump-steering-wheel-january-6-cassidy-hutchinson-testimony-mark-meadows/The statement you provided—"To this day, they still believe he incapacitated two Secret Service agents with one arm and drove the Beast with the other"—is not an accurate summary of Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony as reported in the CBS News article or other related sources. Below, I’ll break down why this is the case based on the details of Hutchinson’s testimony and subsequent disputes.
Hutchinson’s Testimony
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, testified before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. According to her testimony, as recounted in the CBS News article and other sources:
Hutchinson described an incident she heard secondhand from Anthony Ornato, a senior Secret Service official, in the presence of Robert Engel, the head of Trump’s security detail. Ornato allegedly told her that after Trump’s speech at the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, he entered the presidential vehicle, known as "the Beast," under the impression he could go to the Capitol. When informed by Engel that this was not possible due to security concerns, Trump became "irate."
Hutchinson testified that Ornato said Trump responded by saying something to the effect of, “I’m the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now.” When Engel reiterated that they were returning to the West Wing, Hutchinson said Ornato recounted that Trump reached for the steering wheel. Engel then grabbed Trump’s arm and said, “Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel. We’re going back to the West Wing, we’re not going to the Capitol.” Hutchinson further stated that Ornato described Trump using his free hand to “lunge towards Engel,” motioning toward his clavicles when recounting the story. Engel, who was present during Ornato’s retelling, reportedly did not dispute the account at the time.
Hutchinson’s testimony does not claim that Trump “incapacitated two Secret Service agents with one arm” or that he “drove the Beast with the other.” Her account, based on Ornato’s story, describes Trump reaching for the steering wheel and lunging toward Engel, not incapacitating anyone or taking control of the vehicle to drive it himself.
Disputes and Contradictions
The statement’s accuracy is further undermined by disputes from other sources, particularly those close to the Secret Service and a subsequent Republican-led House report:
A source close to the Secret Service, as reported by CBS News and NBC News, stated that both Engel and the driver of the vehicle were prepared to testify under oath that Trump did not physically attack or assault either of them and did not grab the steering wheel. They acknowledged Trump was irate and demanded to go to the Capitol but denied the physical altercation described by Hutchinson.
A 2024 Republican-led House Administration Committee report, chaired by Rep. Barry Loudermilk, cited testimony from four White House employees and the driver of the SUV, who explicitly refuted Hutchinson’s account of Trump lunging for the steering wheel or attempting to get into the front seat. The driver testified, “I did not see him reach [redacted]. [President Trump] never grabbed the steering wheel. I didn’t see him, you know, lunge to try to get into the front seat at all.” Ornato also stated in a November 2022 interview that he did not recall the incident as Hutchinson described it.
The Republican report argued that Hutchinson’s testimony changed over time, becoming more dramatic in later interviews, and accused the Jan. 6 committee of promoting her account without sufficient corroboration. Hutchinson’s attorney defended her, stating she stood by her testimony and had faced pressure from Trump allies to downplay her role.
Analysis of the Statement
The statement in question exaggerates and misrepresents Hutchinson’s testimony in several ways:
“Incapacitated two Secret Service agents”: Hutchinson’s testimony does not describe Trump incapacitating anyone. She alleged he lunged toward Engel, with Ornato gesturing toward his clavicles, suggesting a physical move but not incapacitation. No mention is made of a second agent being involved in the altercation.
“With one arm”: Hutchinson’s account, based on Ornato’s story, states Trump reached for the steering wheel with one hand and lunged toward Engel with the other. There is no implication of incapacitating anyone with a single arm.
“Drove the Beast with the other”: Hutchinson never claimed Trump drove the vehicle. She said he reached for the steering wheel in an attempt to redirect the vehicle, but Engel intervened, and the vehicle returned to the West Wing.
“To this day, they still believe”: This part of the statement is vague, as it’s unclear who “they” refers to. If it implies the Jan. 6 committee or Hutchinson, it’s misleading because Hutchinson’s testimony has been contested, and the committee’s final report acknowledged multiple witnesses. If it refers to public perception, it oversimplifies a heavily disputed narrative.
Additional Context
Hutchinson’s testimony was significant for its proximity to key figures in the Trump White House, as she was a top aide to Meadows and had direct access to high-level discussions. Former Trump aides, like Olivia Troye, corroborated her close working relationship with Meadows, lending credibility to her access to sensitive information, though not necessarily to the specific steering wheel incident. Conversely, Trump and his allies, including on Truth Social, dismissed her account as “fake” and “fraudulent,” with Trump claiming he hardly knew her. The Secret Service notified the Jan. 6 committee of its intent to respond formally to Hutchinson’s allegations, but no public testimony from Engel or the driver has fully clarified the matter.
Conclusion
The statement is a hyperbolic and inaccurate summary of Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony. Her account, based on a secondhand story from Ornato, described Trump reaching for the steering wheel and lunging toward Engel, not incapacitating two agents or driving the vehicle. Furthermore, the incident has been disputed by the Secret Service, the driver, and a Republican-led report, which claim no such physical altercation occurred. While Hutchinson’s testimony was dramatic and significant, the statement you provided distorts it into an exaggerated caricature that does not align with the reported facts.
Is this statement: To this day, they still believe he incapacitated wo Secret Service agents with one arm and drove the beast with the other an accurate summary of Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony? https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/trump-steering-wheel-january-6-cassidy-hutchinson-testimony-mark-meadows/The statement you provided—"To this day, they still believe he incapacitated two Secret Service agents with one arm and drove the Beast with the other"—is not an accurate summary of Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony as reported in the CBS News article or other related sources. Below, I’ll break down why this is the case based on the details of Hutchinson’s testimony and subsequent disputes.
Hutchinson’s Testimony
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, testified before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. According to her testimony, as recounted in the CBS News article and other sources:
Hutchinson described an incident she heard secondhand from Anthony Ornato, a senior Secret Service official, in the presence of Robert Engel, the head of Trump’s security detail. Ornato allegedly told her that after Trump’s speech at the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, he entered the presidential vehicle, known as "the Beast," under the impression he could go to the Capitol. When informed by Engel that this was not possible due to security concerns, Trump became "irate."
Hutchinson testified that Ornato said Trump responded by saying something to the effect of, “I’m the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now.” When Engel reiterated that they were returning to the West Wing, Hutchinson said Ornato recounted that Trump reached for the steering wheel. Engel then grabbed Trump’s arm and said, “Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel. We’re going back to the West Wing, we’re not going to the Capitol.” Hutchinson further stated that Ornato described Trump using his free hand to “lunge towards Engel,” motioning toward his clavicles when recounting the story. Engel, who was present during Ornato’s retelling, reportedly did not dispute the account at the time.
Hutchinson’s testimony does not claim that Trump “incapacitated two Secret Service agents with one arm” or that he “drove the Beast with the other.” Her account, based on Ornato’s story, describes Trump reaching for the steering wheel and lunging toward Engel, not incapacitating anyone or taking control of the vehicle to drive it himself.
Disputes and Contradictions
The statement’s accuracy is further undermined by disputes from other sources, particularly those close to the Secret Service and a subsequent Republican-led House report:
A source close to the Secret Service, as reported by CBS News and NBC News, stated that both Engel and the driver of the vehicle were prepared to testify under oath that Trump did not physically attack or assault either of them and did not grab the steering wheel. They acknowledged Trump was irate and demanded to go to the Capitol but denied the physical altercation described by Hutchinson.
A 2024 Republican-led House Administration Committee report, chaired by Rep. Barry Loudermilk, cited testimony from four White House employees and the driver of the SUV, who explicitly refuted Hutchinson’s account of Trump lunging for the steering wheel or attempting to get into the front seat. The driver testified, “I did not see him reach [redacted]. [President Trump] never grabbed the steering wheel. I didn’t see him, you know, lunge to try to get into the front seat at all.” Ornato also stated in a November 2022 interview that he did not recall the incident as Hutchinson described it.
The Republican report argued that Hutchinson’s testimony changed over time, becoming more dramatic in later interviews, and accused the Jan. 6 committee of promoting her account without sufficient corroboration. Hutchinson’s attorney defended her, stating she stood by her testimony and had faced pressure from Trump allies to downplay her role.
Analysis of the Statement
The statement in question exaggerates and misrepresents Hutchinson’s testimony in several ways:
“Incapacitated two Secret Service agents”: Hutchinson’s testimony does not describe Trump incapacitating anyone. She alleged he lunged toward Engel, with Ornato gesturing toward his clavicles, suggesting a physical move but not incapacitation. No mention is made of a second agent being involved in the altercation.
“With one arm”: Hutchinson’s account, based on Ornato’s story, states Trump reached for the steering wheel with one hand and lunged toward Engel with the other. There is no implication of incapacitating anyone with a single arm.
“Drove the Beast with the other”: Hutchinson never claimed Trump drove the vehicle. She said he reached for the steering wheel in an attempt to redirect the vehicle, but Engel intervened, and the vehicle returned to the West Wing.
“To this day, they still believe”: This part of the statement is vague, as it’s unclear who “they” refers to. If it implies the Jan. 6 committee or Hutchinson, it’s misleading because Hutchinson’s testimony has been contested, and the committee’s final report acknowledged multiple witnesses. If it refers to public perception, it oversimplifies a heavily disputed narrative.
Additional Context
Hutchinson’s testimony was significant for its proximity to key figures in the Trump White House, as she was a top aide to Meadows and had direct access to high-level discussions. Former Trump aides, like Olivia Troye, corroborated her close working relationship with Meadows, lending credibility to her access to sensitive information, though not necessarily to the specific steering wheel incident. Conversely, Trump and his allies, including on Truth Social, dismissed her account as “fake” and “fraudulent,” with Trump claiming he hardly knew her. The Secret Service notified the Jan. 6 committee of its intent to respond formally to Hutchinson’s allegations, but no public testimony from Engel or the driver has fully clarified the matter.
Conclusion
The statement is a hyperbolic and inaccurate summary of Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony. Her account, based on a secondhand story from Ornato, described Trump reaching for the steering wheel and lunging toward Engel, not incapacitating two agents or driving the vehicle. Furthermore, the incident has been disputed by the Secret Service, the driver, and a Republican-led report, which claim no such physical altercation occurred. While Hutchinson’s testimony was dramatic and significant, the statement you provided distorts it into an exaggerated caricature that does not align with the reported facts.
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I hate to use a remedial source who itself does not really - JG MU - 9/4 19:31:39