Former United States President Donald Trump allegedly signaled his approval of the "hang Mike Pence" chant voiced out by rioters who stormed the Capitol, said a former aide to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
The aide, identified as Cassidy Hutchinson, also testified to the House Select Committee that Trump complained about his then-vice president being hustled to safety while his supporters breached the Capitol, two sources said. The former aide answered the panel's questions during three separate sessions.
Trump on "Hang Mike Pence" Chant
Last week, Hutchinson went over "new ground" with the committee, though it was not immediately clear what they discussed during that deposition. Taylor Budowich, a spokesman for Trump, said that the "vague leaks" from the "partisan" committee were simply an "extension of the Democrat smear campaign that has been exposed time and time again."
He argued that the opposition was fabricated and dishonest, adding that Americans were getting tired of the Democrats' lies and charades. A spokesman for the committee declined to comment on both matters, as per CNN.
During a rally that happened before the siege on the Capitol building, Trump told a crowd of supporters that he was hoping Pence was going to stand up for the good of the Constitution and for the good of the country.
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In response, Pence said that he did not believe that he had the authority to reject Electoral College votes. Trump then posted on Twitter that his then-vice president did not have the courage to do what should have been done to protect the country and the Constitution.
According to the New York Times, Meadows allegedly told colleagues that in response to the chants, Trump said something along the lines of, maybe Mr. Pence should be hanged. It was not clear what tone the Republican businessman used but the alleged remarks are further evidence of the extreme rupture between him and his former vice president.
Rupture Between Republicans
It also shows how the former president failed not only to take action to call off the rioters but appeared to identify with their sentiments about Pence as a reflection of his own frustration at being unable to reverse his loss.
A lawyer for the former chief of staff said that he had "every reason to believe" that the account of what Meadows said is "untrue." Despite criticizing Democrats, Budowich did not address the substance of the information provided to the committee.
A lawyer for Hutchinson did not respond to a message seeking comment regarding the issue of Trump's remarks. For weeks, Pence resisted pressure from Trump and some of his allies to use his ceremonial role in overseeing Congress's certification of the electoral votes on Jan. 6 to block or delay Joe Biden's victory.
During an interview, Trump was asked about the "hang Mike Pence' chant and whether or not he was worried about the then-vice president's safety during the riot. The former president said that he was not worried because Pence was well protected and that he heard he was in good shape, Yahoo News reported.
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