Two former Trump officials react to Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony [Alyssa Farah Griffin & Olivia Troye
by CNN
Jun 28, 2022
Former Trump administration officials Alyssa Farah Griffin and Olivia Troye react to ex-White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s stunning testimony before the House select committee investigating January 6. #CNN #News
Transcript
WE'RE JOINED BY TWO FORMER WHITE
HOUSE INSIDERS WHO KNOW CASSIDY
HUTCHINSON WELL, FORMER WHITE
HOUSE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC
COMMUNICATIONS ALYSSA
FARRAH GRIFFIN, AND A FORMER TOP AIDE TO
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE, OLIVIA TROY.
YOU AND CASSIDY HUTCHINSON ARE CLOSE.
YOU HAVE ACTUALLY SPOKEN TO HER.
I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT HER.
I HAD NEVER SEEN HER SPEAK
OTHER THAN IN THE DEPOSITION.
SHE WAS REMARKABLY COMPOSED AND
CREDIBLE, AND I THINK HER
TESTIMONY WILL BE VERY
IMPACTFUL.
HOW IS SHE DOING?
>> SHE'S DOING GREAT.
SHE'S IN GOOD SPIRITS.
I THINK THE MAGNITUDE OF THE
MOMENT HAS CERTAINLY BEGUN TO
DAWN ON HER AND HOW SIGNIFICANT
OF A ROLE SHE'S PLAYING IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
SHE'S SOMEBODY WHO I WOULD HAVE
TRUSTED IN ANY SCENARIO TO KEEP
THEIR WORD, TO GET A JOB DONE.
BUT SHE'S BEEN A BEHIND THE SCENES
PLAYER.
SO TO SEE HER FRONT AND CENTER WITH
MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
WATCHING AND TO MAINTAIN SUCH
POISE AND CONFIDENCE DOING WHAT
DOZENS OF PEOPLE TWICE HER AGE,
THREE TIMES HER AGE ARE TOO
TERRIFIED TO DO, REFUSING
SUBPOENAS, NOT SHOWING UP, WAS
REMARKABLE, IT WAS INSPIRING, HONESTLY,
AS A WOMAN TO WATCH.
I DON'T KNOW EVEN WHAT THE BIGGEST
TAKE AWAY FROM TODAY WAS.
I HAD A SENSE OF WHAT SHE WAS
GOING TO SAY.
THIS WENT FAR BEYOND ANYTHING I
KNEW OF FROM THE FACT THAT SHE
CONFIRMED THE FORMER PRESIDENT
WANTED TO SEE MORE VIOLENCE ON
JANUARY 6TH.
HE KNEW THERE WERE WEAPONS, AND
HE WANTED TO SEE THEM USED.
TO WANTING TO TAKE OVER THE
BEAST, HIS CAR AND POTENTIALLY
DRIVE IT TO CAPITOL HILL, I
MEAN, SHE PAINTED A PICTURE OF
WHAT WAS EVEN WORSE THAN WHAT I
KNEW WHEN I RESIGNED IN
DECEMBER, EARLY DECEMBER OF
2020, WHICH WAS A MAN UNHINGED,
OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY, AND
WITH ADVISERS AROUND HIM
SEEMINGLY DOING NOTHING TO STOP
IT.
>> YOU WERE IN THE ROOM, OLIVIA
TROY, AND I WANT TO PLAY ONE OF
THE MOST SHOCKING MOMENTS FROM
THE TESTIMONY TODAY, IN WHICH
CASSIDY HUTCHINSON IS
DESCRIBING, SHE'S AT THE LITTLE
STAGING AREA AT THE JANUARY 6TH
RALLY.
THE QUOTE UNQUOTE STOP THE STEAL
RALLY WITH DONALD TRUMP.
HE'S FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THERE
ISN'T AS BIG A CROWD AS POSSIBLE
AND HE'S BLAMING THAT ON THE
MAGNOTOMETERS, SO WE'RE GOING TO
PLAY THAT, AND THEN I WANT TO HEAR WHAT THE RESPONSE WAS
LIKE FOR YOU AND OTHERS YOU WERE
SITTING AMONG IN THE COMMITTEE
HEARING WHEN THAT HAPPENED?
>> AND HE FELT THE MAGS WERE AT
FAULT FOR NOT LETTING EVERYBODY
IN, BUT ANOTHER LEADING REASON,
LIKELY THE PRIMARY REASON IS
BECAUSE HE WANTED IT FULL, AND
HE WAS ANGRY THAT WE WEREN'T
LETTING PEOPLE THROUGH THE MAGS
WITH WEAPONS.
THE SECRET SERVICE TEAMS WEAPONS
AND OUR WEAPONS, BUT WE WERE IN
THE OFF STAGE ANNOUNCE TENT I
WAS PART OF A CONVERSATION, I
WAS IN THE VICINITY OF A
CONVERSATION WHERE I OVERHEARD
THE PRESIDENT SAY SOMETHING TO
THE EFFECT OF I DON'T "F-ING"
CARE THAT THEY HAVE WEAPONS.
THEY'RE NOT HERE TO HURT ME.
TAKE THE "F-ING" MAGS AWAY.
>> THEY'RE NOT HERE TO HURT ME.
WHAT WAS YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT,
AND WHAT WAS -- AND THEN SHE GOES ON
TO SAY, BY THE WAY, THAT, YOU
KNOW, THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO UP
TO THE CAPITOL ALSO.
WHAT WAS YOUR RESPONSE?
WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE OF THE
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO WERE IN
THE CAPITOL JANUARY 6TH, THE
OFFICERS WHO WERE WOUNDED ON
JANUARY 6TH?
>> YEAH, IT WAS INFURIATING.
I FELT SICK TO MY STOMACH.
AND AS I WAS SITTING THERE, I HAD A
MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO THE RIGHT
OF ME, CONGRESSMAN GALLEGO, AND TO THE LEFT OF ME I HAD
SERGEANT GONELL WHO SUFFERED
SIGNIFICANT INJURIES THAT DAY, AND THERE WAS MIKE FANONE, HARRY DUNN
HODGES, THEY WERE ALL SITTING THERE,
AND I LOOKED TO THEM TO SEE
THEIR FACES AND WE LOOKED AT
EACH OTHER AND I COULD HEAR THE
AUDIBLE GASP AND ANGER HEARING
THAT CLIP BECAUSE WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT IT, THIS SETS THE PICTURE
OF THE PRESIDENT LEADING THE
CHARGE THERE AND SETTING THEM
UP.
AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS
SAID RIGHT THERE AS I WAS
SITTING THERE.
THEY SAID, "THEY SET US UP," AND I CAN'T
IMAGINE SEEING THAT CLIP AND
LIVING THAT DAY THE WAY THEY DID
AND SEEING THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES TALK ABOUT A CROWD
THAT WASN'T BIG ENOUGH AND THAT
HAD WEAPONS AND SAYING LET THEM
IN.
>> SO I'VE SEEN IN SOCIAL MEDIA
AND IN MEDIA, NEWS MEDIA THAT
THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE,
INCLUDING CONSERVATIVE LAWYERS
WHO SAY THAT THIS IS THE SMOKING
GUN, THIS IS DONALD TRUMP
KNOWING THAT PEOPLE WERE ARMED
AND NOT CONSIDERING THEM A
THREAT TO HIM AND WANTING TO
SEND THOSE ARMED PEOPLE TO
CAPITOL HILL.
HOW DID YOU INTERPRET IT?
>> I AGREE WITH THAT.
I THINK THE PAT CIPOLLONE QUOTE
WHICH I DON'T WANT TO BOTCH, BUT
ESSENTIALLY SAYING WHY HE SHOULDN'T
DRIVE UP TO CAPITOL HILL BECAUSE
YOU WOULD HAVE COMMITTED A
NUMBER OF FELONIES IN DOING SO
OR CRIMES IN DOING SO WAS VERY
SIGNIFICANT AND I THINK THAT
ALSO SPEAKS TO WHY FRANKLY PAT CIPOLLONE
HAS NOT COME AND TESTIFIED
BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, BUT THIS,
I EXPECTED THIS HEARING TO
REALLY GO AFTER MARK MEADOWS AND
IT CERTAINLY DID THAT, IT
CERTAINLY PUT HIM IN HOT WATER,
BUT THIS TIED IT DIRECTLY TO THE
FORMER PRESIDENT, TALKING ABOUT
THE KNOWLEDGE HE HAD OF THE
DANGER HE WAS PUTTING PEOPLE IN,
AT THE CAPITOL AND HIS OWN VICE
PRESIDENT WHO HE KNEW WAS THERE.
HE WAS FINE WITH PEOPLE WITH
WEAPONS GOING TO CAPITOL HILL.
>> SO JUST THE QUOTE THAT YOU WERE
REFERRING TO IS CASSIDY
HUTCHINSON TESTIFIES SHE HEARS
THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL, PAT
CIPOLLONE, AND ONCE AGAIN, TO UNDERLINE,
LOYAL DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTERS,
YOU HAVE TO BE TO BE THE WHITE
HOUSE COUNSEL IN DECEMBER AND
JANUARY OF 2020, 2021, HE SAYS
TO CASSIDY HUTCHINSON, DON'T LET
THE PRESIDENTIAL LIMO, DON'T
TAKE DONALD TRUMP UP TO THE
CAPITOL.
DO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN.
QUOTE, WE'RE GOING TO GET
CHARGED WITH EVERY CRIME
IMAGINABLE IF WE LET THAT
HAPPEN.
>> THEY KNEW.
AND HE STILL WANTED TO GO
FORWARD, AND THEN AGAIN, THIS
INCREDIBLE SCENE OF HIM REACHING
OVER THE WHEEL OF THE BEAST.
I'VE BEEN IN THE BEAST, THIS IS
A MASSIVE VEHICLE, HE'S A HUGE
MAN, HE'S 6'3", 6'4", PHYSICALLY TRYING TO TAKE
CONTROL OF THE CAR. THIS IS A MAN DETACHED FROM REALITY.
AND IF TODAY'S TESTIMONY DOES NOT
MAKE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS AND REPUBLICAN VOTERS
CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT THIS
MAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL
BECAUSE IT WAS PURE INSANITY.
>> AND AT THE END OF THE HEARING, LIZ
CHENEY, THE VICE CHAIR, AGAIN, A VERY
CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN.
>>THEY'RE ALL REPUBLICANS
>> LOYAL.
AND NOT JUST REPUBLICANS
VERY CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS
WHO SUPPORTED DONALD TRUMP'S
ELECTION IN 2016, ELECTION IN
2020, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, BUT
SHE READS SOME WITNESS, YOU
KNOW, UNNAMED WITNESS
TESTIMONIES, BASICALLY SOUNDING
AS THOUGH TRUMP WORLD IS
REACHING OUT TO THEM AND SAYING
YOU BETTER NOT SAY ANYTHING BAD
ABOUT US BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.
WHETHER BEHIND CLOSED DOORS OR
IN FRONT AND THE SUGGESTION WAS
THAT IT WAS WITNESS TAMPERING,
DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT
WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND THE
SCENES.
HAVE YOU HEARD ANY STORIES LIKE
THAT, AND EITHER WAY, WHAT'S
YOUR REACTION.
>> YEAH, I'M NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR
THERE'S INTIMIDATION OF THE
WITNESSES AND BULLYING.
I MEAN, THIS IS HOW THESE PEOPLE BEHAVE.
SO I THINK THAT IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT THE COMMITTEE
SHOULD BE INVESTIGATING AND
LOOKING INTO, I THINK THEY'VE MADE
REFERENCE TO THAT THAT THEY ARE
GOING TO LOOK INTO THIS.
AND I THINK GIVEN CASSIDY
HUTCHINSON'S BRAVERY TODAY, I THINK THEY
OWE IT TO PEOPLE LIKE HER AND
OTHERS WHO TOLD THE TRUTH, WHO
WENT ON RECORD WHILE ALL OF
THESE OTHER COWARDS STAND BY AND
ALLOW THIS MOMENT AND CONTINUE
TO ENABLE THIS DANGER THAT CONTINUES ACROSS OUR COUNTRY AND AMERICA.
>> WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU GUYS,
CAUSE I CAN'T ASK CASSIDY HUTCHINSON
THIS QUESTION BUT SHE'S IN THE
SAME GROUP.
WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU GUYS TO BE FORMER
MEMBERS OF MAGA, WHICH CLAIMS TO BE A BUNCH OF
ALPHAS WHO THINK THEY'RE SO
MANLY AND HEROIC AND VIRILE, TO BE YOUNG
WOMEN WHO ARE SHOWING MORE COURAGE INDIVIDUALLY THAN
LIKE ALMOST EVERY HOUSE MALE
REPUBLICAN, ALMOST EVERY TRUMP
WHITE HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIAL, CERTAINLY MORE SO THAN
CIPOLLONE WHO SOUNDS LIKE HE WAS
TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT
WON'T COME FORWARD AND TESTIFY
MARK MEADOWS, ET
CETERA, WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
>> WELL, I'M SO IN AWE OF WHAT CASSIDY
HUTCHINSON, SARAH MATTHEWS,
PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME FORWARD,
BUT I'LL ALSO SAY THIS, IT'S KIND OF SURREAL TO
WATCH AS SOMEBODY WHO WORKED FOR TRUMP AND
BELIEVED IN PART OF HIS AGENDA,
AND SOMEONE LIKE CASSIDY WHO WAS
A LOYAL FOOT SOLDIER, NO ONE
WOULD HAVE WANTED TO BE IN THIS
POSITION LESS THAN CASSIDY
HUTCHINSON, THIS IS THE LAST
PLACE SHE WANTED TO BE TODAY BUT
SHE FELT HER DUTY TO THE COUNTRY
WAS WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN HER
PERSONAL LOYALTIES, AND I'M SO
GRATEFUL FOR WOMEN LIKE OLIVIA
WHO HAVE COME FORWARD BUT I
DON'T KNOW WHERE ALL THE SEATED
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE WHO
AREN'T STEPPING UP, I DON'T KNOW
WHERE THE YOU KNOW, FORMER
CABINET SECRETARIES WHO HAVE REMAINED CONVENIENTLY QUIET SINCE THIS ARE.
>> WHAT'S IT LIKE FOR YOU?
BECAUSE YOU CAME OUT IN 2020, BASICALLY,
WARNING THE WORLD ABOUT THIS MAN
AND HOW IN YOUR VIEW UNHINGED
AND DANGEROUS HE WAS.
>> YEAH, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR
PEOPLE LIKE CASSIDY WHO ARE OUT
THERE TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT
WHAT THE REALITY WAS IN THE DAYS
AND IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE
ELECTION.
IAD T'S FRUSTRATING AND IT'S
ANGERING AT TIMES TO WATCH THESE
PEOPLE CONTINUE TO ENABLE SUCH A
DANGEROUS INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS
PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE DANGEROUS
TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
AND LOOK, CASSIDY, HER LIFE WILL
BE FOREVER CHANGED.
MY LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
ALYSSA'S LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE
SAME.
BECAUSE WE STOOD UP AND WE TOLD
THE TRUTH.
WE STOOD UP FOR OUR COUNTRY.
AND PEOPLE WILL SAY, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S NOTHING HEROIC ABOUT
THAT.
YOU WORKED IN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
WELL, YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT THE
INTIMIDATION OF WITNESSES.
YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT THE
BULLYING.
THERE ARE NO DOUBTS THERE ARE GOING TO
BE THREATS ON CASSIDY'S LIFE.
I AM WORRIED ABOUT HER SAFETY
LOOK, WE'VE GOTTEN THREATS RECENTLY.
WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS
AND WHAT IT MEANS TO STILL CONTINUE TO BE OUT THERE
TALKING ABOUT THIS AND WARNING PEOPLE.