Washington, D.C. (March 22, 2024) | This week, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Chairman of the House Administration Committee’s Oversight Subcommittee, released a transcribed interview the January 6 Select Committee conducted with President Trump's valet, whose job required him to be in close proximity to the President on January 6, 2021.
Following the New York Times's reporting, Rep. Loudermilk released the following statement:
"This transcribed interview was conducted by the January 6 Select Committee with a White House employee – whose job required him to be with the President at all times when he is at the White House," said Rep. Loudermilk. "The Select Committee interviewed this nonpartisan employee before they pushed Cassidy Hutchinson's sensationalized story.
"This first-hand account of President Trump's actions while at the White House on January 6 provides the American people with important, relevant information about the events of that day. I care about getting the truth out there, instead of only releasing parts that support a partisan narrative like the Select Committee did. My goal is complete transparency so Americans can decide the truth about January 6 for themselves."
Read the full redacted transcribed interview here.
Background:
The January 6 Select Committee claims they didn’t release this testimony because of an agreement the Select Committee had with the White House—however, that is misleading. All documents should have been turned over at the start of the 118th Congress to the Oversight Subcommittee. The Select Committee referenced parts of unreleased White House Transcribed interviews in their final report, but only where it supported their narrative. This particular witness transcript was cited numerous times, but the full context and story were never released.
Highlights:
Valet contradicts Hutchinson's testimony that President Trump agreed with chants to "Hang Mike Pence".
Pg. 42/Pg.43, Lines 19-25/Lines 1-9
Q: We understand that during the events at the Capitol, there were a number of chants, one of which was, "hang Mike Pence." Do you remember any comments that the President or anybody around him made with respect to those chants, "hang Mike Pence"?
A: No. I remember that happening, but I don't remember any comments from the President or anybody on staff.
Q: This is one of those places where I'm going to ask you if you remember something specifically, only to see if it refreshes your recollection. But we do have information indicating that the President said something like, and excuse my language, but, Maybe he should be f*****g hung, maybe he deserves it. Do you remember hearing the President expressing any sentiment like that in the afternoon of the 6th?
A: I don't, sir. No, sir.
Q: And so it could have happened, you just don't recall it, or do you actually know for a fact it didn't happen, in your memory?
A: I don't recall. Again, I don't know if it happened or not.
Valet testified President Trump had no pre-determined plan to go to the Capitol.
Pg. 34/Pg.35, Lines 21-25/ Lines 1-10
Q: And just to be clear in my question, which is not always the case, do you remember the President ever expressing a desire to go to the Capitol, even if it was before the 6th? So saying, I'd like to go on the 6th, whether it happened in December or early January?
A: No. I never heard that. Yeah. And there was never like ‑‑ typically, I would hear something like that if we were, like, going down to the Capitol, because it's like a whole ‑‑ again, it's like a whole movement where things have to happen, like a ‑‑ almost like a trip book like you've seen. That's like a whole movement of things that still have to be coordinated, and I didn't hear any of that being organized or him ever mentioning wanting to walk or go down to the Capitol at all.
Q: Were you aware of the Secret Service exploring options for the President to go to the Capitol that day?
A: No. Yeah, I wouldn't imagine Secret Service entertaining that
Q: Why do you say that?
A: Because that's a lot of people, that's a lot of ‑‑ it's just crazy.
Valet testified President Trump made efforts to talk to Speaker Pelosi and General Millie to deploy the National Guard and secure the Capitol.
Pg. 46, Lines 6-10
Q: Are you aware of any conversations or recommendations that the President needed to call the National Guard on the 6th?
A: What I remember about the National Guard ‑‑ what I remember about the National Guard was him wanting to talk to National ‑‑ or talk to General Milley and Speaker Pelosi about the National Guard.
Pg. 47, Lines 3-4
A: I only remember the National Guard associated with General Milley and Speaker Pelosi.
Pg. 47, Lines 16-17
A: Again, I only remembered those three phone calls, was the ones I actually heard.
Pg. 62, Lines 18-19
Q: Okay. And we understand ‑‑ and, again, I'm conveying this only to see if it helps you in your memory. But we understand that the President raised the idea of having 10,000 National Guard troops in Washington for January the 6th.
