In a spectacle befitting of the one-sided Jan. 6 committee show trial, RINO Rep. Liz Cheney on June 28 greeted "star witness" Cassidy Hutchinson with a warm embrace after Hutchinson's second-hand testimony — the veracity of which immediately came into question — claiming that President Donald Trump had demanded to be taken to the Capitol during the Jan. 6 protests and attempted to commandeer the presidential limo.
For Never-Trumpers including "conservative media' steeped in the perpetual feeding trough of "conservative money," Cheney's embrace of Hutchinson must have been the icing on the Jan. 6 show trial cake.
The Washington Examiner editorial board solidified its "center right" Never-Trumper credentials by proclaiming that Hutchinson's testimony "ought to ring the death knell for former President Donald Trump’s political career. Trump is unfit to be anywhere near power ever again."
In a June 28 editorial headlined "Trump proven unfit for power again", the Examiner portrayed Hutchinson as a beacon of credibility.
What did their readers think?
John Hood, a prominent columnist in North Carolina at the Koch-funded John Locke Foundation, in a LinkedIn post lauded the Examiner's Never-Trumper editorial: "Although the story about Trump trying to grab the steering wheel seems shaky to me, I think the rest of this Washington Examiner editorial is spot-on."
He got hit with a tsunami of negative reactions from real conservatives. Said one comment: "
According to another: "
Writing for American Greatness on June 30, Julie Kelly noted: "Playing the part of the aged rescuer to the J6 damsel-in-distress, NeverTrump praised her (Hutchinson's) courage and defended her uncorroborated and at times outlandish claims about Trump’s conduct related to the events of January 6. Over-the-top descriptions of her surprise performance headlined their immediate reaction to her two-hour testimony."
National Review’s Andrew McCarthy "appeared the most smitten" with Hutchinson. Her testimony, McCarthy insisted, was “spellbinding,” “compelling,” “stunning,” “riveting,” and “devastating” to Trump.
McCarthy’s former National Review colleague David French explained in a lengthy fan letter to Hutchinson at The Dispatch, he had little hope the committee would produce evidence to prove Trump was criminally responsible for whatever the Left and Never-Trump land claims happened on Jan. 6.
Like McCarthy, French said everything changed for him after the committee’s matinee show on June 28. “Today’s is different,” French confessed. “Because of a courageous woman named Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Mark Meadows. Earlier this afternoon she gave the most extraordinary congressional testimony I’ve ever seen.”
"One would be hard-pressed," Kelly noted, "to find a more obsequious—to the point of creepy—billet-doux than the article authored by Mona Charen. In her best Single White Female voice, Charen, a once-respected voice of the conservative movement who lost her mind when Trump won the presidency, must have been drooling on her laptop" when she wrote the following:
"You have to wonder how Cassidy Hutchinson was raised. What did her parents do to instill a conscience and courage in such a young person? The most frightening thing we’ve learned over the past six years is just how indifferent the vast majority of the Republican party is to the rule of law, the Constitution, basic decency, and truth. But there have also been ordinary men and women who met the moment with grace and integrity. Their examples prove that the flame of liberty has not been extinguished. If this republic survives, Liz Cheney will be remembered as a heroine who ensured that it could. And Cassidy Hutchinson will deserve a place of honor for showing a party of cowards what courage looks like."
Even Obama era Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson questioned Hutchinson's testimony: “I’m concerned as the former federal prosecutor in me – that gets you a lot of cred these days on television – I’m concerned that the committee may have overreached on the incident in the vehicle. It was colorful, it was vivid, it was collateral to the central charge…and it was secondhand hearsay."
Shortly after Hutchinson’s testimony, multiple legacy news outlets reported that former White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Secret Service agent Tony Ornato denied that it ever happened and would be willing to testify under oath to that effect.
“Meet the Press” personality Chuck Todd added that Hutchinson’s retelling of the story was actually a “third-hand account.”
“I think by the time she told us the story was technically, we’re in our third version. It’s a third-hand account,” Todd said.
“It depends on how you interpret hearsay. But, you know, that testimony would not have been admissible in a courtroom,” Johnson added.
Politico reported on Wednesday that the Jan. 6 Select Committee did not reach out to the Secret Service in an attempt to verify Hutchinson’s account prior to the hearing. An agency spokesman told Politico, “we have and will continue to make any member of the Secret Service available” to the committee.
For Never-Trumpers, regardless of whether or not Hutchinson's testimony holds up, the Jan. 6 committee's show trial is like their Super Bowl.
Trump said in a statement: "Everyone must remember, this is all about massive Election Fraud which took place and which the Unselect Committee refuses to discuss. Likewise, they refuse to discuss the 10-20,000 soldiers that I offered 4 days earlier to secure the Capitol. Pelosi and the Mayor of DC, who are in charge of security, turned it down."
Trump continued: "Social Climber Hutchinson lied about my attack on our great Secret Service, lied about her writing the White House note, lied about my throwing food at a wall in the Oval Office, & lied about my wanting to be surrounded by 'people with guns' during my 'Go Peacefully and Patriotically' speech (how crazy is that?), yet no guns were found in the Capitol. These lies, among others, were made UNDER OATH. What is the Justice Department going to do about this? Do we have a two tiered system of Justice?"
The White House note Trump was referring to was displayed during the hearing and Hutchinson claimed she had written it. “The handwritten note that Cassidy Hutchinson testified was written by her was in fact written by Eric Herschmann on January 6, 2021,” Herschmann’s spokesman told ABC News. “All sources with direct knowledge and law enforcement have and will confirm that it was written by Mr. Herschmann.”
Trump continued: “Cassidy Hutchinson also forgot to tell the Unselects that she was desperate to go to Florida with certain others of the Trump staff, long after January 6th had come and gone. If I was so evil, why did she fight so hard to stay a part of the MAGA TEAM?. This is all documented in writing! Why did it take her so long to tell (make up!) these ridiculous and obviously Fake Stories, even after previously sitting for four long hour depositions?”
Trump sarcastically asked if Hutchinson’s "brand new lawyer" may have had something to do with her new story. As American Wire reported, Cheney played a key role in assigning Hutchinson a new lawyer.
“Lying under oath???,” Trump stated as he topped off his statement.
During an interview with Newsmax on June 30, Trump noted: “They don’t talk about any of the things that refute January 6. They don’t talk the election numbers.”
Trump added in a separate statement: "We don’t have a fair system of “Justice” in this Country anymore. The way they are treating me & my supporters, compared to what happens to those “on the other side,” is like day & night. It has been this way for a long time, but never like it is today! All semblance of a “FAIR & BALANCED” Media to look over, study, and report on what is going on in our Country is GONE! Fight on, America, Fight On! (Oh, I’m sorry. By using the word FIGHT, they will say I am inciting an Insurrection. Apologies!)."
Trump then called out Fox News and Newsmax for not airing reports on massive fraud in the 2020 election: “You’re afraid of being sued or something.”
As for Cheney, her days in Congress seem numbered as she trails Republican primary challenger Harriet Hageman by 28 points.
In an interview with John Karl on ABC’s This Week, Cheney – who voted to impeach Trump – did not outright reject the possibility of running for the presidency in 2024.
If questioner (Cheney) wants to appear fair to jury (American people), it probably is not a good idea to get caught on camera hugging the witness…see below from @Politico;already people have very strong feelings - both ways - about this hearing and pics like this don’t help; pic.twitter.com/lbdkMtzT4y
— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) June 29, 2022
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