Cassidy Hutchinson describes a memorable outburst of anger by the former US president surrounding the capture of the Capitol.
Former US President Donald Trump is said to have been so angered by an exclusive interview with his Attorney General William Barr that he slammed his lunch against the White House wall. That’s how he was described Tuesday (local time) by former intern Cassidy Hutchinson on the House of Representatives inquiry committee into the Capitol Hill robbery. Barr gave the interview to the AP news agency.
During the interview, he emphasized that the Justice Department found no evidence of widespread fraud in the November 2020 presidential election. There is nothing that can change the outcome. Barr dropped a bombshell that undermined all of his boss Trump’s efforts to overturn the election result.
Ketchup dripped from the wall
By the time the “AP” interview was published on December 1, 2020, she heard noise coming from a White House hallway, Hutchinson reported in her deposition. She noticed a door ajar in the West Wing dining room, which houses the official offices of government headquarters. Trump had lunch there. As he approached, he saw a valet changing the tablecloth.
“He waved at me and then pointed to the front of the room near the fireplace and a TV, and that’s when I saw ketchup dripping off the wall and a broken china plate on the floor,” Hutchinson said. The valet told her that Trump was angry about Barr’s interview with “AP” and threw his lunch at the wall. “I took a towel to wipe the ketchup off the wall,” said then-assistant to Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows.
Barr expected Trump to fire him
The article was written by “AP” reporter Michael Balsamo, responsible for issues related to the US Department of Justice. The day before, he had been informed that Barr wanted to meet him at the Ministry for lunch. In his own testimony before the commission of inquiry, of which a video was shown, the former minister later explained that “in my opinion, it was time to say something” about the allegations of electoral fraud.
Balsamo immediately recognized the weight of Barr’s clarification in the interview. He asked him to repeat, which Barr did. Quickly after lunch at a Justice Department office, Balsamo wrote and presented his report.
Shortly after his interview, Barr went to the White House for a pre-scheduled meeting with Trump’s chief of staff, Meadows. Barr said in his deposition that he had already told his secretary he could be fired and asked not to return to his office. So she might have to pack her things, he warned his secretary. He was then quoted as saying about Trump that he was “angrier than I’ve ever seen him”. Barr said the former president accused him of hating him. A few weeks later, the Minister of Justice resigned.
Time of 20 minutes of the navigation account29.06.2022, 18:35| Act: 06/29/2022, 18:35