Illustrations by Lara Antal for custom-hutchinson-visual (Lara Antal for the Washington Post) From the Oval Office dining room to the backstage area of the White House Ellipse, she explained how Trump and those around him reacted to key moments leading up to the pro-Trump uprising, citing at length her interactions with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows . as well as from overheard conversations involving the president. Here are four of the revealing scenes Hutchinson described:
December 1, 2020: Ketchup on the wall
Hutchinson was a stone’s throw from the Oval Office dining room on Dec. 1, 2020, when President Donald Trump watched as his attorney general, William P. Barr, told The Associated Press that the Justice Department found no evidence of widespread voter fraud . She heard a commotion, and when the valet waved her into the dining room, she noticed the echo of the president’s reaction. Story continues below ad Story continues below ad
January 2, 2021: “Let’s Go to the Capitol”
On January 2, 2021, four days before the attack on Capitol Hill, Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani met with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and others. Hutchinson took Giuliani out of the White House that night and heard him preview the events of January 6.
January 6, 2021: ‘They’re not here to hurt me’
Backstage before Trump addressed supporters at the Ellipse, Hutchinson stood close to the president as he assessed the size of the crowd and, speaking to her, called for metal detectors to be removed so that people with firearms could attend, saying, “No you’re here to hurt me.” Story continues below ad Story continues below ad
January 6, 2021: I’m not going to the Capitol
Hutchinson described what Tony Ornato, deputy chief of staff for operations, told her about Trump’s reaction to being told he would not be able to join supporters on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6. About this story Illustration by Lara Antal. Designed and developed by Aadit Tambe. Audio by Sabby Robinson. Additional reporting by Isaac Stanley-Becker. Editing by Madison Walls, Rachel Orr and Griff Witte. Copy editing by Jordan Melendrez.
