A Jaw-Dropping Two Hours

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Election 2024, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

Yesterday afternoon, I spent just over two hours glued to my computer watching the latest of the January 6th committee hearings … one that had been called spontaneously just the day before.  Some of what we saw was not particularly surprising, in light of what we’ve already learned.  But some … was simply jaw-dropping.

The witness yesterday was Cassidy Hutchinson, who was an assistant to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.  She was in a position to see and hear a lot, and yesterday she told us some of what had transpired in the days leading up to and on January 6th 2021.  The first thing that really grabbed me was her testimony that before giving his speech at the Ellipse on January 6th, Trump looked at footage of the crowds and complained that there weren’t enough people.  He was informed that most people had declined to attend because it meant going through the magnetometers (called ‘mags’ for short) that would detect their weapons, and those weapons would then be confiscated.  Trump demanded that they remove the mags, let everybody in, for he said that “They’re not here to hurt me.”  He cared not one whit for anybody else’s life and was willing to let an angry mob carrying weapons of every sort from brass knuckles to AR-15s into the Ellipse.  Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and Trump did not get his way.

Then, Ms. Hutchinson testified that after his speech, he fully intended to go to the Capitol, but again the Secret Service intervened and told him no, they were going back to the West Wing of the White House, for they did not believe they could provide adequate security, given that there were already armed groups of rioters in trees outside the Capitol and an ever-growing armed crowd making its way toward the Capitol.  Trump again demanded, and again was refused, at which point he leaned forward and grabbed the steering wheel of the SUV he was riding in, saying, “I am the f*cking president, take me up to the Capitol now!”  Secret Service Agent Robert (Bobby) Engel, who was driving the vehicle, took Trump’s wrist and told him, “Sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel. We’re going back to the West Wing.,” at which time Trump went for Engel’s neck with his bare hand!  THIS, my friends, is NOT someone I want sitting in the Oval Office with the nuclear codes at his fingertips!  More and more I realize just how lucky we, as a nation, were to have survived four years under the rule of this madman!

One other thing, though, stood out in Ms. Hutchinson’s testimony and that was when he was so upset with former Attorney General William Barr for telling him the truth, that there was no evidence whatsoever of any election fraud that would change the outcome of the election, that Trump threw his lunch – dishes and all – against the wall!  But wait … worse yet, when Ms. Hutchinson was asked by Representative and Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney if there had been other instances of Trump throwing dishes, she replied in the affirmative and also said that sometimes he would just jerk the tablecloth off the table, sending dishes and food flying to the floor.  Even a four-year-old child knows better than this!

C’mon, Republicans … if anyone would still vote to put this lunatic back into the Oval Office, that person seriously needs psychiatric help, as Trump himself obviously does!

At the close of the hearing, Ms. Cheney showed some messages that had been received by various people who were testifying before the committee … messages containing thinly-veiled threats to “do the right thing.”  The right thing, in this case, of course not being that which is in the interest of the nation, but rather is in the interest of one person only:  Donald Trump aka the former guy.  This shows us that there is still a contingent out there who would prefer a maniac in the Oval Office destroying this nation in every way possible.

We dodged the bullet last time, my friends.  I don’t think we’ll be so lucky if there’s a next time.  Please, let’s make sure there is no next time!

27 thoughts on “A Jaw-Dropping Two Hours”

  2. Jill, her honor and courage speak volumes. Plus, her sense of diligence is exemplar. If she did not know, she said as such. I like her former boss Mick Mulvaney’s comment, “I know her and I believe her.” I believe her as well. NOTE: the Trump allies who go after her the hardest need to be scrutinized as they may be culpable, such as those folks who asked for (then denied so doing) a pardon. From Ohio, there is a known Congressman named Jim Jordan whose words should always be taken with a grain of salt, dating back to when it is reported he denied being told by his wrestlers of a doctor who sexually assaulted them. It is reported they reiterated they did tell him. Keith

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    • Exactly! It was obvious that this was not easy for her, but she did not embellish, did not grandstand, and answered the questions as best she could. I was definitely impressed and can see her sitting in Congress sometime in the future. Mulvaney’s comment also carries weight, for sure. As re Jim Jordan … I have no doubt whatsoever that he was complicit in covering up the sexual abuse that was ongoing at OSU … yet another example of a Republican who is NOT fit to sit in Congress, but there he is and there he’s likely to stay.

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    • If Biden and the democrats had only been more aggressive, vibrant, passionate. The only thing they are doing right is the 1/6 investigation and with that they are doing a good job, but 2/3rds of the country doesn’t even watch.
      In many ways we have ourselves to blame for all this..apathy plays to the oppressor

      Liked by 3 people

      • Well … I agree that the Democrats need to be far more unified and far more vocal than they are. Biden’s reticence on some things is understandable, but on others is puzzling. But, I think you’ll find that around 1/2 the people are watching the hearings, maybe even more, if not in real time, then after the fact, or else watching the abbreviated summations that are prepared by several media outlets. Even a large number of Republicans are watching, else how would they be preparing their lies to counter the testimony even before the hearing adjourns? Yes, apathy plays a role … a significant role … and it disgusts me when I see people who aren’t even aware of most of what’s happening, who don’t even bother to check the news because they “don’t want to ruin my good mood.” Sigh.

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  4. How could this happen to the US. But then how could a UK Government seek to withdraw from the European Human Rights Convention, deport refugees to Africa and pass legislation that can stop protests that it doesn’t like. Meet Britain, a country walking dangerously close to fascism.

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    • I lie awake nights asking myself that question, my friend. Even when Trump took over the Oval Office, I still didn’t see all this coming, though my predictions were dire even then. As re the UK … I was aware of the first two things you mention, but not of the third. I’ll have to look more into that … for that sounds like things here! Is Boris hoping to emulate Donnie? Sigh. Yes, the whole world is in a bit of a mess. Take care, dear friend … still have my fingers crossed for that cuppa coffee someday.

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  5. None of this testimony surprises me, not even the tantrums, until you get to the ride back to the White House. And that only surprises me in thst Trump thought he could outfight however many secret service agents were in the car with him. He never grew up! His father thought he could protect him forever, just ss unrealistic, one as the other, father and son. I doubt the Donald has ever considred his own mortality. Why should he? In his mind he is still only 2 year old.

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    • In one sense, I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me, either, but trying to grab the steering wheel? Why, he could have caused the SUV to run into someone … or crash into a tree … but he didn’t care, any more than he cared if the rioters brought weapons into the Ellipse, for they didn’t come to hurt him, and to hell with everyone else. But still, there are people who either applaud or at least overlook his behaviour and would love to see him elevated to the throne in the Oval Office. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

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  9. Pingback: A Jaw-Dropping Two Hours — Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  10. I watched the whole thing too and alot of analysis later. It was exhausting to listen to just how horrible and evil trump really is, not to mention insane. Sometimes I say to myself…this all just can’t be real, not in 2022, not in America….but any empire can fail, if apathy gets too much and corruption, greed and religious fanaticism takes hold. It’s happened over and over again. We never seem to learn.

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    • Horribly true. History always happens to other people, other times, never our own, yet anyone with any vision can see the parallels. I fear that unless Biden or some other President can curb the power of the corporations in the US – and untangle them from all the major institutions such as the FDA – the deterioration of democracy will continue.

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    • It seems to be a fatal flaw among humans that we don’t ever learn, and that each generation seems a bit more radical than the one before it. I’ve never … NEVER seen some of the things we’re seeing today, such as people being elected to Congress who haven’t even read the Constitution, conspiracy theorists making our laws, and people no longer even trying to pretend they are decent human beings. Apathy, yes. But I think worse is hate and bigotry … so much of it here these days that I don’t even like to leave my house. Sigh.

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