The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack heard testimony that then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told colleagues former President Donald Trump reacted approvingly to rioters chanting about hanging former Vice President Mike Pence, The New York Times reports.
People familiar with the matter told the Times at least one person provided this information to the committee, and Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Meadows, confirmed the account. The Times notes it isn't clear the tone Trump used when talking about the chants. When asked by the Times for comment, a lawyer for Meadows said he has "every reason to believe" this recounting "is untrue."
In the days leading up to the Capitol riot, Trump pressured Pence to either block or delay the certification of President Biden's victory. During the "Stop the Steal" rally before the Capitol attack, Trump told the crowd Pence "is going to have to come through for us, and if he doesn't, that will be a sad day for our country. Because you're sworn to uphold our Constitution."
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From the White House, Trump watched television coverage of the riot, and after hearing the "Hang Mike Pence!" chants, Trump tweeted, "Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution." Read more at The New York Times.
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