Fox News and other members of the corporate press praised Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony to the January 6 Committee just hours before Secret Service agents reportedly announced their intent to contradict Hutchinson’s testimony under oath.
Hutchinson was a White House aide during the final days of the Trump administration.
During a surprise hearing of the January 6 committee, Hutchinson claimed White House Deputy chief of staff Tony Ornato told her former President Donald Trump tried to commandeer the presidential Suburban during the capitol riot and became upset when Secret Service agent Bobby Engel tried to stop him.
Hutchinson claimed that Trump “said something to the effect of, ‘I’m the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now.’”
A Fox News staffer reportedly said to the Daily Beast’s Justin Baragona, “Yeah, I don’t know how you possibly spin this,” after Hutchinson’s testimony.
Fox News reporters carried a similar message on air.
Fox News’ Bret Baier called Hutchinson’s testimony “jaw-dropping.”
“”I’ve covered politics a long time,” Baier said. “I don’t think there has been testimony like this — that is kind of jaw-dropping, in a way — on the inside workings of a White House in crisis after, you know, at this moment, January 6th, that we have seen since Watergate.”
Fox News host Geraldo Rivera praised Baier’s “fair, accurate, complete, and balanced,” assessment of Hutchinson’s testimony. Rivera also called Hutchinson’s testimony “damning” and a “bombshell,” before saying that she “deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
CNN’s Jake Tapper heavily promoted Hutchinson’s testimony, but admitted that “as of now, it is hearsay.”
However, shortly after Hutchinson’s testimony, NBC and ABC confirmed that the Secret Service agents who were with Trump on January 6 were prepared to testify under oath that Trump never attempted to take over the steering wheel of the presidential Suburban or assaulted either agent.