A new report about former President Donal Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, has exposed how rumors in Washington, D.C., can get out of hand quickly. Trump has faced excruciating criticism of everything he has done while president and ever since he left office.
Critics enjoy taking any indication that he did something wrong and running with it like it was pure fact. That attitude has kept Trump in the headlines with constant critique of his actions.
A witness came forward and stated that a certain rumor about Trump on Jan. 6 doesn’t hold water. Trump didn’t do what his opponents screamed about, according to an eyewitness to Trump’s actions.
From the Daily Caller:
Former President Donald Trump’s driver disputed the infamous claim that the former president tried to grab the steering wheel from him on Jan. 6, 2021, and go to the U.S. Capitol, according to a transcript obtained by The New York Times (NYT).Trump’s lead Secret Service agent Robert Engel told the president that such a move was not possible because they did not have the plans to do so, the driver told The NYT. At no point did Trump yell at the driver to go to the Capitol nor did he lunge for the steering wheel, the driver reportedly testified.
That’s not the truth that Trump’s detractors likely wanted to hear. According to the news report, Trump gave his speech on Jan. 6 and entered his armored vehicle and was discussing the size of the crowd at the event. He indicated he wanted to go to the U.S. Capitol, according to the driver during an interview with House lawmakers.
“The president was insistent on going to the Capitol,” the driver said in the transcript, according to The NYT. “It was clear to me he wanted to go to the Capitol. He was not screaming at Mr. Engel. He was not screaming at me. Certainly his voice was raised, but it did not seem to me that he was irate — certainly not, certainly didn’t seem as irritated or agitated as he had on the way to the Ellipse.”
That description conflicted with a highly publicized account from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aid to Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows. She testified before Congress that she heard that the former president ordered his deputy chief of staff Tony Ornato and Engel to take him to the Capitol before then reaching for the steering wheel from the backseat and grabbing Engel by the clavicle.
“I did not see him reach,” the driver told investigators, The NYT reported. “He never grabbed the steering wheel. I didn’t see him, you know, lunge to try to get into the front seat at all. You know, what stood out was the irritation in his voice, more than his physical presence.”
The Jan. 6 committee noted in the final report that Engel did not relay his account of the day the same way Hutchinson stated the incident unfolded. Trump, at the time of Hutchinson’s testimony, refuted her claims of what she heard had happened.
“This lady yesterday, is there something wrong with her?” Trump told the media at the time. “She said I jumped from a car and I started strangling … a Secret Service agent who I know very well?”
“The Secret Service came out and said this story is completely false. The woman is living in fantasy land,” Trump continued. “I think it’s just a shame that this is happening to our country.”
Despite the conflicting version of events, the Jan. 6 committee stated in its final report that is was “clear and undisputed” that Trump was “insistent and angry” while demanding to travel to the Capitol.
Key Takeaways:
- The rumor that Trump attacked his driver on Jan. 6 was shot down by an eyewitness.
- “He never grabbed the steering wheel” was the driver’s version of the day’s events.
- Despite the Secret Service version, the Jan. 6 committee painted Trump in a bad light.
Source: Daily Caller
