Cassidy Hutchinson- Another Brick In The Wall

A profile in courage or just a case of doing the right thing? Either way, it might help to put Donald Trump behind bars.

Janet Dudding for Texas @Janet4Texas

Cassidy Hutchinson showed real courage & patriotism today. I'm proud of Cassidy. Her testimony was harrowing. The threat against our democracy is very real. The threat continues.

Like much of America, I watched yesterday’s edition of the January 6th Committee hearings with stunned amazement. Sitting before the cameras was a 25-year-old former White House aide, Cassidy Hutchinson, who, by the time she was done two hours later, would become this generation’s John Dean.

In one sense, what she told the committee was nothing new, yet it was also earth-shattering. She painted a picture of a President who not only was aware that the January 6th insurrectionists were armed but who wanted to lead them in the assault on the Capitol.

None of us can imagine what kind of pressure she must have been under, but to her credit, she never once fell back on taking the Fifth Amendment. Instead, she answered the panel’s questions honestly and forthrightly. She didn’t go into unnecessary detail, but then she didn’t need to. The short answers she provided were more than enough.

Ronald Brownstein @RonBrownstein

It was as bad as anyone imagined: Hutchinson testified "despite the violence at the Capitol & threats to Pence, Trump refused repeated exhortations from his staff to intervene. 'He doesn’t want to do anything,' Mr. Meadows told the White House lawyer."

nytimes.comSix takeaways from Cassidy Hutchinson’s explosive testimony.The former White House aide provided crucial insight into what President Donald J. Trump was doing and saying during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and in the days before.

That she was a top aide in the West Wing means that she had been reliably all-MAGA for some time. That makes her decision to testify even more remarkable. She knew MAGAworld would revile her, yet she decided to do the right thing and tell the truth.

Many on the Far-Right have been working overtime to denigrate her as a glorified secretary/coffee fetcher, but her testimony made it clear that she was far more than that. She was a trusted member of the senior staff for her unflappability and her ability to make solid decisions on the fly. She may have been very young compared to the rest of the senior staff, but she was dependable and thus included in many high-level conversations.

MINDF©️K @gal_suburban

Cassidy Hutchinson is about to be the target of a misogynistic ISIS-like terrorist cell radicalized in the US. In America we're supposed to protect people, regardless of party, religion or race from that threat. Stand in solidarity against violence & mob tactics.

Cheri Jacobus @CheriJacobus

Before you gush too much over Cassidy Hutchinson, remember that she was/is a 100% MAGA as a young woman, and is only testifying now and telling important truths because she is forced to do so. A year and a half after the fact.

I’ve yet to see any reporting on why she chose now to come forward. It isn’t easy to know what to ascribe her motive(s) to, but Americans should be grateful that she did decide to testify. Because of her testimony, we have a much more complete picture of a desperate, out-of-control Donald Trump, who was willing to do almost anything to remain in power.

Hutchinson’s testimony represents yet more bricks in the wall constructed by the January 6th committee. As I said earlier, the revelations she offered added more depth and nuance to what was already known, but they also spoke to Trump’s state of mind, which will be critical to any potential prosecution.

Paige Williams @williams_paige

“Until this point we had not seen proof that he knew about the violence. The testimony made very clear he was not only entirely aware of the threat but wanted armed people to march to the Capitol. He was even willing to lead them.”-frmr federal prosecutor

nytimes.comCassidy Hutchinson’s Testimony Highlights Legal Risks for TrumpThe former White House aide’s revelations about Jan. 6 chipped away at any potential defense that Donald J. Trump was merely expressing well-founded views about election fraud.

Trump knew the crowd was armed and wanted to lead them to the Capitol. That means that he could face significant legal exposure. Hutchinson’s testimony spoke to Trump’s state of mind and made clear that he was involved AND aware of what was happening.

Of course, I’m not an attorney, much less a federal prosecutor, so I don’t know what Hutchinson’s words might hold for Donald Trump’s future. Is he going to find himself in increased legal jeopardy because of her? Will federal prosecutors be able to use her testimony to nail down a case against Trump?

Or are we all still tilting at windmills?

Olivia of Troye @OliviaTroye

Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony was damning. It illustrated that the President & his circle knew days in advance that there was a real threat of violence on Jan 6th, yet he & some around him did nothing to stop it from happening. Grateful for her bravery in service to our country.

Olivia of Troye @OliviaTroye

She will undoubtedly continue to face the vitriol & threats. There will be ongoing efforts to undermine her credibility and discredit her name, but in spite of that, Cassidy Hutchinson stood strong—on her own—and her courage will never be forgotten.

It’s not easy to imagine what Cassidy Hutchinson’s life will be like going forward. Imagine being 25 years old, a hero to one side, and a traitor to the MAGA cult. What will become of her? Is her life in jeopardy? Will she be able to resume a normal life? With Donald Trump behaving like a mob boss, is she legitimately in danger? I hope the feds, at the very least, offered to guarantee her safety.

On the one hand, to become a senior aide in the West Wing, she had to be MAGA through and through. That said, her politics are hardly the issue now. That she stood up and did the right thing is. I respect her for understanding what she would almost certainly face after testifying…and doing it anyway. That displays a tremendous amount of courage and maturity for a 25-year-old.

Whatever her politics may be, Cassidy Hutchinson did the right thing for the right reasons. She deserves our respect for that.

Wajahat Ali @WajahatAli

Cassidy Hutchinson is 26 years old. She's stepping up publicly about how Trump and Meadows knew there was an armed threat and did nothing except encourage it. So many more Republicans could have been brave and spoken up but they choose to be silent cowards.

So many other Republicans- Mark Meadows, Pat Cipollone, etc., ad infintum, ad nauseam, have chosen to be “silent cowards.” These are all people with far more experience in politics than Cassidy Hutchinson. She could have done the same thing; instead, she may become this generation’s John Dean, the witness whose testimony blew the Watergate scandal wide open.

Then again, it may change nothing. Merrick Garland may lack the backbone to charge Donald Trump, even though it’s become increasingly clear that he’s committed a handful of crimes.

The January 6th committee may produce a report proving that Donald Trump was the driving force behind the insurrection. And yet, the Attorney General may decide that it’s not enough. As he has his entire life, Donald Trump may skate away uncharged and unscathed.

If that’s the result, will it all have been a waste? I suppose we’ll have to leave that to the judgment of history. Of course, I don’t want to assume the worst possible outcome before we know the ending. The committee’s work may lead to Donald Trump wearing prison orange.

How many of us could die happily if that was the outcome?