Transcripts For KRON KRON 4 News At 5pm 20220722

Representative bennie thompson, its going chair the hearing remotely because he has covid19. But that committee is expected to piece together what happened in those 187 minutes between when the former president gave his speech and then his final prerecorded video when he asked protesters to go home. That video was tweeted out later on the afternoon. Theyre going to go through a timeline of those 187 minutes to former white house officials who served under the president will be testifying tonight. Former National Security Council Member Matthew Pottinger and onetime Deputy White House press secretary Sarah Matthews will both be testifying live to see liz cheney and adam kinzinger. Theres a lot current of the south bay and the red there off filing in adam schiff of california. And when this starts will certainly be sure to bring you their life. So this is what the committee is calling their most compelling evidence yet theyre going to be laying out what the president did and did not do during those 187 minute, giving some of the tape messages that the president gave on january 7th. Lets listen and well see you on the other side. Good evening. Earlier this week i received a positive covid diagnosis. Per cdc guidelines received the initial 2 shots and all of the bruces the fall. Ive been blessed to experience very minimal symptoms. Because still quarantine. I cannot dissipate in person with my colleagues act of eyes to miss cheney, to put this evenings here, including maintaining order in the room. And where are now . Witnesses . Over the last month and a half. The select committee has told a story of a president who did everything in his power to overturn an election. He lat the he betrayed his old. He tried to destroy democratic institutions. Hes all to washington. After the war on january 6 when he knew that symbol mall was having it on and angry, he commanded them all to go to the capitol and he emphatically command that the him in a mall to fight like hail. For the weeks between now november next. And in january 6, donald trump was a force to be reckoned with. His first off the pack challenged in the gala to correct. So advice off his college ball and sensible advises instead he recklessly blazed a path of lawlessness and corruption. The cost of which democracy the day. And then he stopped. 187 minutes on january 6. This unbridled destructive energy. It could not be moved not by his aides, not by allies, not bad right to his on the desperate pleas of those facing down the right. And more tellingly, donald trump ignore and disregard it. The desperate pleas of his own family, including of all come and gone june. Even know he was the only person in the world who could call off the mall. He sent to the capitol. He could not be moved to rise from his dining room table. The few steps down the white house hallway into the press Briefing Room where cameras, what anxiously and desperately waiting to carry his message. 2 on the inbound mall savagely beating and killing Law Enforcement offices. Revenge the capital and hunting dow. The Vice President and various members of congress. He could not be moved. This evening. My colleagues miss the kings in girl, the illinois and this luria of virginia. Well take you inside the white house doing those 187 minutes. We also remind you of what was happening at the capitol minute by minute as a file tragic part gone from scheme. The cleanedup, how unravel . Well, he nor his advisers stood back and watched it unfold on television. That me off a final thought about the select committees work so far as we made clear throughout these hearings investigation goes forward. We continue to receive new information every day. We continue to hear from witnesses. We will reconvene in september to continue laying findings to the American People. But as that work goes fall, a number of facts are clear. That can be no doubt that there a coordinated multistep effort to overturn an election overseen and directed. But down from. That could be no doubt that he commanded the mall he knew was heavily violent and angry to march on the capitol to try to stop the peaceful transfer of power. And he may out of his own Vice President and the lawmakers get it to do the peoples work. These facts have gone undisputed. And so that needs to be accountability. Accountability under the law, accountability to the American People. Accountability every from the local precincts in minutes. States what donald trump, a new allies attacked election workers for just doing their jobs all the way up to the oval office. What donald trump embraced a legal advice of insurrection is that federal have already did say was a coup. In search of a legal theory. Democracy was to the attack on january 6. If they have no accountability for january 6 for every part of this scheme. I feel that we will not overcome the ongoing threat to our democracy. That must be stiff consequences for those responsible. Now turn things over to here to start telling this story. Thank you, mister chairman. Without it. And were watching the january 6 hearing live. Just a warning for everybody at home. There is expected to be a good amount of profanity during this hearing. Were not going to bleep it out. So were going to go back now to washington with the release of the deposition material presented during todays hearing. And let me begin tonight by wishing chairman thompson a rapid recovery from covid. He has expertly led us to a hearing so far and he has brought us to the point. We are today. In our initial hearing, the chairman and i described what ultimately became Donald Trumps 7 part plan to overturn the 2020 president ial election. Plans stretching from before election day through january 6. At the close of todays hearing, our 9th, we will have addressed each element of that plan. But in the course of these hearings, we have received new evidence and new witnesses have bravely stepped forward. Efforts to litigate and overcome immunity and executive privilege claims have been successful and those continue. Doors have opened. New subpoenas have been issued and the dam has begun to break. And now even as we conduct our 9th hearing, we have considerably more to do. We have far more evidence to share with the American People and more to gather. So our committee will spend august pursuing emerging information on multiple fronts before convening further hearings this september. Today, we know far more about the president s plans and actions to overturn the election and almost all members of congress did and President Trump was impeached on january 13th 2021. Or when he was tried by the senate in february of that year. 57 of 100 senators voted to convict President Trump at that time. And more than 20 others said they were voting against conviction because the president s term had already expired. At the time. The republican leader of the United States senate said this about donald trump. A law. Was the solving the capital and these criminals were hanging in his and screaming. Theyre loyal out. It was all but only President Trump. Could it was a all lot. Leader mcconnell reached those conclusions based on what he knew. Then without any of the much more detail, the evidence you will see today. Lawlessness and violence began at the capitol on 1 6 2021, before 01 00pm and continued until well after darkness fell. What exactly was our commander in chief doing during the hours of violence today, we address precisely that issue. Everything youve heard in these hearings thus far will help. You understand President Trumps motives during the violence. You already know Donald Trumps goal. To halt or delay congresss official proceedings to count certified electoral votes. You know that donald trump tried to pressure his Vice President to illegally rejected votes and delay the proceedings. You know, he tried to convince state officials and state legislators to flip their electoral votes from biden to trump. And, you know, donald trump tried to corrupt our department of justice to aid his scheme. But by january 6, none of that had worked. Only one thing was succeeding on the afternoon of january 6, only one thing was achieving President Trumps goal. The angry armed mob. President trump sent to the capital broke through security, invaded the capitol and forced the vote counting to stop. That mob was violent and destructive. And many came arms. As youll hear secret Service Agents protecting the Vice President were exceptionally concerned about his safety and their own. Republican leader. Kevin mccarthy was scared. As were others in congress. Even those who themselves helps to provoke violence. And as you will see today, Donald Trumps own white house counsel, his own white house Staff Members of his own family all implored him to immediately intervene to condemn the violence and instruct his supporters to stand down, leave the capitol and disperse. For multiple hours. He would not. Donald trump would not get on the phone in order the military or Law Enforcement agencies to help. And for hours donald trump chose not to answer the pleas from congress from his own party and from all across our nation to do with his oath required. He refused to defend our nation and our constitution. He refused to do what every american president must. In the days after january 6, almost no one in any Political Party would defend President Trumps conduct and no one should do so today. Thank you. And i now recognize the gentleman from virginia. Thank you, madam. Vice chair. Article 2 of our constitution requires that the president s where a very specific oath. Every 4 years. Every president swears or firms to faithfully execute the office of president of the United States and to the best of their ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States. The president also assumes the constitutional duty to take care that our nations laws be faithfully executed. And hes the commander in chief of our military. Our hearings have shown the many ways in which President Trump tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power in the days leading up to january 6. With each step of his plan, he betrayed his oath of office. And was derelict in his duty. Tonight. We will further examine President Trumps actions on the day of the attack on the capitol. Early that afternoon, President Trump instructed 10s of thousands of supporters add in near the ellipse rally, a number of whom he knew were armed with various types of weapons to march to the capitol. After telling the crowd to march multiple times he promised he would be with them and finished his remarks at one 10 00pm like this. Were going to walk down and ill be there with you. Were going to walk down anyone you want. But i think right here were going to walk down to the capitol. Lets walk down pennsylvania avenue. But this time the Vice President was in the capital, the joint session of congress to certify joe bidens victory was underway and the proud boys and other rioters. Its storm through the first barriers and the gun. The attack. Radio communications from Law Enforcement inform secret service and those in the white house situation room that these developments in real time. At the direction of President Trump. Thousands more rioters march from your lips to the capitol and they joined the attack. As youll see in great detail tonight, President Trump was being advised by nearly everyone to immediately instructed supporters to leave the capital dispersed and halt the violence. Virtually everyone told President Trump to condemn the violence in clear and unmistakable terms and those on capitol hill and across the nation backed President Trump to help. But the former president chose not to do what all of those people bay, he refused to tell them opt to leave until 4. 17, when he tweeted out a video statement filmed in the rose garden. Ending with this. So go home. We love you. Youre very special. Youve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated better, so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace. By that time, 2 pipe bombs have been found at locations near the capital, including where the Vice President elect was conducting a meeting. Hours of hand to hand combat. Its seriously injured. Scores of Law Enforcement officers, the capitol had been invaded. The electoral count had been halted as members were evacuated. Rye or tours took the floor of the senate. They rifle through desks and broke into offices and then nearly caught up to Vice President pence. Guns were drawn on the house floor and a rioter was shot attempting to infiltrate the chamber. We know that a number of rioters intended acts of physical violence against specific elected officials. We know virtually all the rioters were motivated by President Trumps rhetoric that the election had been stolen. And they felt they needed to take their country back. This hearing is principally about what happened inside of the white house that afternoon. From the time when President Trump ended his speech until the moment when he finally told the mob to go home. A span of 187 minutes. More than 3 hours. What you will learn is that President Trump sat in his dining room and watch the attack on television. Well, the senior most staff closest advisors and family members bag tend to do what is expected of any american president. I serve proudly for 20 years as an officer in the United States Navy Veterans of our armed forces know firsthand the leadership that fired in a time of crisis, urgent and Decisive Action that puts duty and country first. But on january 6 when lives and our democracy hung in the balance. President trump refused to act because it is selfish desire to stay in power. And i yield to the gentleman from illinois, mister thank you. Thank you. Miss gloria. One week after the attack, republican leader Kevin Mccarthy acknowledged the simple truth. President trump should have acted immediately to stop the violence. During our investigation. General mark milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, also remarked on the president s failure to act. Lets hear what they had to say. The president bears responsibility for wednesdays attack on congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding. These facts require immediate action. The President Trump. The community because salt the capitol, the United States call nothing too. Like my colleague from virginia on the better served in the air force and i serve currently in the air national guard. I can tell you that general milleys reaction to President Trumps conduct is 100 correct. And so was leader mccarthys. What explains President Trumps behavior . Why did he not take immediate action in the time of crisis . Because President Trumps plan for january 6 was to halt or delay. Congresss official proceeding to count the votes. The mob attacked the capitol, quit the mob, attacking the capitol quickly caused the evacuation of both the house and the senate. The count ground to an absolute halt and was ultimately delayed for hours. The mob was accomplishing President Trumps purpose. So of course he didnt intervene. Heres what will be clear by the end of this hearing. President trump did not fail to act during the 187 minutes between leaving the ellipse and telling the mob to go home. He chose not to act. But there were hundreds that day who honor their roads and put their lives on the line to protect the people inside the capitol and to safeguard our democracy. Many of them are here tonight with us and many more are watching from home. As you already know. Well see you again tonight. Their service and sacrifice shines a bright light on President Trumps dis honor and dereliction of duty. I yield to the vice chair. Thank you very much, mister kinzinger. Id like to begin by welcoming our witnesses this evening. Tonight, were joined by mister Matthew Pottinger, mister pot and risen decorated former marine intelligence officer. He served this nation on tours of duty in afghanistan and iraq. He served in the Trump White House from the first day of the administration through the Early Morning hours of january, 7th 2021. The last role in which he served in the white house was his deputy National Security adviser to the president of the United States. Were also joined by Sarah Matthews as matthew started her career in communications working on capitol hill, serving on the republican staffs of several house committees. She then worked as Deputy Press Secretary for President Trumps Reelection Campaign before joining the Trump White House in june of 2020. She served there as Deputy Press Secretary and special assistant to the president until the evening of january 6, 2021. I will now swear in our witnesses, the witnesses will please stand and raise their right hands. Do you swear or affirm under penalty of perjury that the testimony youre about to give is the truth . The whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god. Thank you. You may be seated and let the record reflect that the wionesses answered in the affirmative. Thank you both. Again for being here tonight. Mister thank you for your service to the nation as well as as for joining us this evening. Can you please briefly explain what your responsibilities were as deputy National Security adviser to the president. Thank you, madam. Vice chair when i started the white house, i was the senior director for asia on the National Security Council Staff. So that was a job that involved. Helping coordinate the president s asia policy. I supported the president when he met interacted with asian leaders later 2019, i was promoted to the job of deputy National Security adviser in that role. I was the chairman of the deputies committee. Thats an nsc. A meeting of all the deputy cabinet secretaries. We would settle important of a National Policy related to to our National Security. And we would also tee up options for the president and for his cabinet members. It i felt then as i do now, that was a privilege to serve in the white house. Im also very proud of President Trumps Foreign Policy accomplishments. We were able to finally compete with china. We were also able to broker a peace agreements between israel and 3 arab states that those are some examples of the types of policies that i think made our country safer. Thank you, miss were you the white house during the attack on the capitol on january 6 . For most of the day i in the white house, although when the president was speaking at the rally, i was actually off site at a scheduled meeting with indias ambassador to the United States, National Security Council Staff was not involved in organizing the security for what was a domestic event. The rally i did return to the white house that roughly 02 30pm. Thank you. And i know my colleagues will have additional questions for you about that afternoon. Let me turn out to you. Ms matthews. How did you come to join President Trumps white house staff . Thank you, madam. Vice chair, as you outlined, i am a lifelong republican i joined the trump Reelection Campaign in june of 2019 as one of the firstccommunications staffers actually on board for his Reelection Campaign. And during that i traveled all around the country at Kaley Mcenany who is also working on his Reelection Campaign. I worked there for a year and i formed a close relationship with miss not any and im she moved over to the white house in april of 2020 to start as White House Press secretary and she brought over a group of Campaign Staff with her. And so i joined her over at the white house in june of 2020 to start as her deputy. And where miss matthews. It work in the white house on january 6. Yes, i was working out of the west wing that day. And now id like to recognize the gentleman from virginia and the gentleman from illinois. Thank you, madam. Vice chair. As youve seen in our prior hearings, President Trump summoned the mob to dc on january 6. Before he went on stage, he knew some of them are armed and prepared for combat during his speech. Implored them to march to the capitol as always planned to do. By the time he walked off the stage, his supporters have already breached the outer perimeter of the capitol at the foot of capitol hill. Since i last hearings, we perceive new testimony from a security professional working in the white house complex on january 6 with access to relevant information and responsibility to report to National Security officials. The security official told us that the white house was aware of multiple reports of weapons in the crowd that morning. We as a committee. Are cognizant of the fear of retribution expressed by certain National Security. Witnesses have come forward to tell the truth. We therefore taken steps to protect this National Security individuals identity. Listen to this clip the people. About the idea meant a lot happen. To be completely we roll into the because cause was just. One of the actual physical disability doing it. And then also we all knew to do with business was no longer. Well, we did this. We want to move to something because we want i dont know if you want to use were we all knew that this would move from the normal. Democratic, you know. Public event into something. What would what would ryan consider part of the apple hadnt happened yet. Why would we right . It one of the 2000 people to the that was enough even though he understood many of his supporters were armed. The president was still adamant to go to the capitol 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 departure of the motorcade to the white house. We have evidence from multiple sources regarding an angry exchange in the president ial suv, including testimony we will disclose today from 2 witnesses who confirmed the 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 not the deputy chief of staff in his office. This tornado was there with bobby engel. The president s lead secret Service Agent. This employee told us that mister are said the president was, quote, irate when mister engel refused to drive him to the capitol. Mister engel did not refute what mister or said. The second witness is retired Sergeant Mark robinson of the Dc Police Department who was assigned to the president s motorcade that day. He sat in the lead vehicle with the secret Service Agent responsible for the motorcade also called the tsa agent. Heres how Sergeant Robinson remembered the exchange. Was there description of what of what was occurring in the car . No, only all the only description i received was that the president was upset. And was adamant about going to the capitol and there was a heated discussion about that. And when you say he did is that there were is that the word that was described by the joe . Are described by the tsa. Any of that. The president was upset and he was saying there was a heated discussion about going to the capitol aboup how many times would you say youve been part of that motorcade with the president . Finally over 100 times . In in a 100 times, have you ever . Witness to a another discussion of the argument are heated discussion with the president where the president is where he was supposed to go or what the secret service believes safe