On Tuesday, it was revealed that former President Trump had allegedly lunged at his Secret Service limo driver and attempted to grab the steering wheel on the morning of January 6, 2021, when he was told he wouldn’t be allowed to go to the Capitol after his speech at the White House Ellipse.
This was made public by former top aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Cassidy Hutchinson during Tuesday’s congressional hearing into the January 6 Capitol riots.
All three night news broadcasts aired allegations about former President Trump. Six minutes before the three networks went live, NBC’s chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander tweeted that both Secret Service agents involved “are prepared to testify under oath that neither man was assaultedAnd that Mr. Trump never lunged for the steering wheel.”
CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell and congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane were quick to hype the now false allegations
“Then-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ top aide described the then-President’s fits of rage, that included throwing plates of food, grabbing the steering wheel of the presidential limo, and lunging at a Secret Service agent. Hutchinson said Trump was furious that Secret Service agents were keeping some of his supporters outside of the White House ellipse because they had weapons,” O’Donnell announced.
MacFarlane gushed that “when the day began, Cassidy Hutchinson was a name and face unknown to most Americans. By the end of the day, she’d made history.”
While ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly NewsEach reported Hutchinson’s testimony but noted that the Secret Service denied it. Both agents were willing to testify under oath.
You can find more information here World News Tonight, chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas reported that “a source close to the Secret Service just told me to expect that the Secret Service will push back against any allegation of an assault against an agent or President Trump reaching for the steering wheel.”
After having broken the news on Twitter, Alexander went on-air to let NBC viewers know that “a source close to the Secret Service tells NBC News that both the lead agent and the limo driver prepared to testify under oath, that neither man was assaulted and that Mr. Trump never lunged for the steering wheel.”
The entire time of the Pelosi-picked January 6, hearings, all three networks spent extolling every claim it could. Given that these hearings do not allow cross-examination, it was inevitable that a mistake like this would occur.
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Below are the relevant transcripts. Click “expand” to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
6/28/2022
Eastern, 6:43 p.m.DAVIDMUIR: Pierre Thomas, our chief justice correspondent, has a question. This was an important piece of evidence, Pierre. Cassidy Hutchinson claims she was told the ex-President lunged at the Secret Service agent driving the presidential SUV. Curious to see what Secret Service has to say about this.
PIERRE TOMAS: David. The Secret Service has not commented on the specifics of this case but they did inform me that they are willing to answer under oath. Two sources who are familiar with this investigation say that Trump asked to visit the Capitol January 6, but that Secret Service denied him due to security issues. According to one of these sources, the President returned to his vehicle on January 6, after his speech. He then asked Robert Engel whether he would like to go to Capitol. Engel stated that that was unwise and dangerous, adding that the motorcade would take President Trump back to the White House. An insider close to Secret Service told me that they expect the Secret Service to counter any allegations of President Trump reaching out for the steering wheel or an assault on an agent.
CBS Evening News
6/28/2022
Eastern, 6:31:45NORAH O’DONNELL: During the Watergate hearings 50 years ago, there was only one surprise witness. Alexander Butterfield revealed that the White House had a taping system. Cassidy Hutchinson was the surprising witness at the hearings on January 6. Mark Meadows was the head aide to the President at that time. His rage included throwing food plates, taking the wheel of the Presidential Limo and lunging at Secret Service agents. Hutchinson stated that Trump was upset Secret Service agents kept his supporters from the White House due to their weapons.
SCOTT MACFARLANE – Cassidy Hutchinson, a face and name most Americans didn’t know when the day started. At the end, her account of the incident in which the president refused to transport Bobby Engle, his chief Secret Service agent to the U.S. Capitol was a major highlight of the day.
CASSIDY HUTCHINSON: The President said something to the effect of, ‘I’m the f’ing President. Take me up to the Capitol now.’ To which Bobby responded, ‘Sir, we have to go back to the West Wing’.The President reached up towards the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel. Engel reached for his arm and said: “Sir. You need to get your hands off of the steering wheel.” We will return to the West Wing. “We’re not going up to the Capitol. Donald Trump then reached out with his free hand towards Bobby Engle.
NBC Nightly News
6/28/2022
Eastern: 7:06 :59LESTER HOLTS: Peter, you have just spoken with a source that has strong words to Hutchinson.
Yes, you’re right. Tonight, in fact, Lester tells NBC News, a Secret Service source, that the lead agent as well as the driver of the limo prepared to testify that no man was assaulted or that Trump did not reach for the steering wheel. Hutchinson said that Trump agreed to give a speech condemning violence on January 7, after his aides had warned him about the 25th Amendment. It is important to note that we also reached out Rudy Giuliani (Lester) and Mark Meadows. They have so far not responded.
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