Another former confidante of Donald Trump has defied the former president and opened up to federal prosecutors about behind-the-scenes machinations on the day of the Capitol riots.
Dan Scavino, who serves as Trump’s White House deputy chief of staff for communications, told the special counsel’s office about the former president’s anger over a “stolen election” as riots erupted on Capitol Hill, ABC reported.
Scavino – who was ordered to testify under subpoena – was one of the few aides who had direct access to Trump when the chaos erupted.
As the attack on the Capitol unfolded, Trump was “simply not interested” in taking additional steps to curb the riots, but was instead “very angry” at what he described as a stolen election, Scavino reportedly told investigators.
Scavino first began working with Trump as a teenager and quickly rose through the ranks to help manage Trump’s White House communications game.
As the riot unfolded, Trump stared at the TV, sometimes silently, with his arms folded, Scavino reportedly told special counsel Jack Smith’s team.
Dan Scavino has worked for Donald Trump since a very young age and served as an adviser to his re-election campaign. AP
The account appears to back up much of what witnesses told the defunct House Select Committee Jan. 6 about Trump’s reluctance to take action amid the Capitol’s disarray.
Also speaking to investigators, another former Trump aide recalled Trump’s reaction to hearing that then-Vice President Mike Pence had been taken to a safe location.
“So what?” he recounted Trump saying, per ABC.
Some rioters chanted about hanging Pence. Trump, however, was disappointed that No. His 2 did not deny the selection for him.
Donald Trump is very angry on January 6, 2021, according to Dan Scavino. AFP via Getty Images
Shortly after the riots broke out, Trump confidants urged him to respond.
At one point, they gave him some space. Soon after, a message appeared on his Twitter, now known as the X account, suggesting that Pence “didn’t have the guts to do what he should have done.”
Aides scramble behind the scenes over incendiary messages. About thirty minutes after Trump confidants first urged him to respond, the then-president gave Scavino the go-ahead to write on Twitter, now known as X, a plea for the mob to be peaceful, according to ABC.
Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are really on the side of our country. Stay safe!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021
“He just wasn’t interested at the time in releasing anything,” Scavino reportedly told Smith’s team, noting that Trump watched the mess on TV.
Acting on appeals from his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Trump later recorded a video addressing the crisis, in which he repeated his dubious claims that “this was a rigged election” and called the mob “very special.”
Scavino reportedly characterized the day as “very unsettling” and said he hoped Trump would launch a peaceful transition of power.
“This is all your legacy here, and there’s smoke coming out of the Capitol,” Scavino told Smith’s team that he told Trump on the night of January 6, 2021.
The 77-year-old former president faces 91 criminal charges including four counts. Reuters
While many of the revelations from Scavino’s interviews with Trump’s team corroborate public information about the day of the riots, his cooperation is significant because of his proximity to Trump that day.
Scavino is one of several key advisers including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, deputy counsel to the President Patrick Philbin, and former Trump aide Nick Luna who investigators believe have important insights into Trump’s activities surrounding that day . .
Scavino initially cited executive privilege when pressed with a subpoena from a House committee Jan. 6. The panel and then Congress then moved to censure it in 2022.
Jack Smith is leading two Justice Department indictments against Donald Trump. Getty Images
Ultimately, the Justice Department declined to pursue charges against both Scavino and Meadows despite recommendations from Congress.
However, prosecutors have since gone ahead and scored convictions against Trump ally Steve Bannon and Trump’s former mentor Peter Navarro.
Both fight that belief.
“President Trump and Dan Scavino both agree that it can be part of the legacy but, regardless, want to get it done and do it. There is no dispute about that,” a Trump campaign spokeswoman told The Post.
“The media’s fascination with second-hand rumors shows how weak the Witch-Hunt is against President Trump. Dan Scavino is one of President Trump’s longest-serving, most loyal allies, and his real testimony shows just how strong President Trump’s position is in this case.”
A spokesman for Smith’s office declined to comment.
Smith’s team has charged Trump with a four-count indictment for his alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election and a 34-count indictment for his alleged hiding of classified documents.
Trump, who also faces two other indictments, has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all pending charges against him. His 2020 election trial has been scheduled to begin on March 4.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
