Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Cassidy Hutchinson shared a warm embrace on Tuesday after the partisan January 6 Committee heard testimony from the 26-year-old witness.
The emotional spectacle raised red flags from some onlookers, who questioned the objectivity and fairness of the committee’s hearing.
“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,” Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren said.
In an interview set to air Sunday, Cheney told ABC’s “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl that she is “absolutely confident” in Hutchinson’s testimony, even though a great portion of the witness’ story was debunked just hours after the hearing. “I’m confident in her testimony,” Cheney doubled down.
“She’s an incredibly brave young woman,” Cheney continued. “The committee is not going to stand by and watch her character be assassinated by anonymous sources and by men who are claiming executive privilege.”
“I think that what Cassidy Hutchinson did was an unbelievable example of bravery and of courage and patriotism in the face of real pressure,” said Cheney, who is 30 points down in her reelection bid in Wyoming against Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman.
During the hearing, Hutchinson claimed with secondhand knowledge that former President Donald Trump tried to commandeer “the Beast” SUV after his rally on January 6.
But just a few hours after Hutchinson testified, NBC News reported that Bobby Engel, Trump’s Secret Service man on duty on January 6, would testify under oath to contradict Hutchinson’s story. The Secret Service also told Politico on Wednesday the committee did not attempt to confirm Hutchinson’s allegations with the agency before her testimony.
Cassidy Hutchinson’s attorney Jody Hunt defended his client’s testimony as a simple recounting of second-hand knowledge. Hunt previously worked at the Department of Justice for over 20 years, according to LinkedIn. The DOJ is currently prosecuting multiple individuals associated with January 6.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter and Gettr @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
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