New Revelations from Jan. 6 Reports

New details about former President Trump’s private conversations are among the revelations of the Jan. 6 select committees final report, parts of which were provided to Axios.

Why is it important: The evidence and testimony shed new light on the key events of the Capitol Riot and the events leading up to it, including Trump’s high-profile efforts to nullify the 2020 election.

1) Incident at Stepien’s officeFormer Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien has tested that he did an intentional and informal ‘self-demotion’ after Trump brought in attorney Rudy Giuliani to help air allegations of fraud baseless election. He told the committee about an episode in which he locked Giuliani out of his office:

• “It was a big glass office … in our headquarters, and I asked my assistant to lock my door,” he told the committee, “I told him, don’t let anyone in … Tell me what’s going on here, but, you know, you’re going to see me less.”
• “Of course,” he continued, “Mayor Giuliani tried to…enter my office and ordered her to unlock the door, and she didn’t, you know.”
• Axios’ Jonathan Swan and Zach Basu reported that Trump campaign aides would often take refuge from Giuliani’s meetings in Stepien’s office, with Giuliani knocking on the door and asking, “You guys, where did you go?”

2) Giuliani’s testimonyDespite his past claims of voter fraud, Giuliani told the select committee during a deposition, “I don’t think the machines stole the election.”

3) Penny Call: Trump told former Vice President Mike Pence during a phone call the morning of Jan 6 that certifying President Biden’s election victory would be “a political career killer,” according to the testimony of an unnamed White House employee.

• Pence initially did not respond to Trump’s call, according to testimony from former White House attorney Eric Herschmann, who eventually made it through after yelling at his aides to “get the vice president on the phone. “.

4) Meeting with Michigan leaders: Trump told GOP leaders in the Michigan state legislature to “have some backbone and do the right thing” during a Nov. 20 meetings at the White House, according to then-Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield.

• Chatfield told the committee that he interpreted this as a request for help in nullifying the election by sending Trump voters to Congress.

5) Texts by Hope Hicks: White House adviser Hope Hicks texted Trump campaign spokesperson Hogan Gidley as the Capitol riot unfolded, which she had “suggested … multiple times” on Jan. 1. 4 and 5 that Trump publicly calls Jan. 1. 6 be peaceful.

• In testimony released at Monday’s committee meeting, Hicks said she “didn’t speak directly to the president about it,” but did communicate with Herschmann.
• Mr. Herschmann said he made the same recommendation to the president, and [the president] refused,” Hicks tested.

• Hicks also texted a colleague on the evening of Jan. 1. 6: “Attack the VP? Wtf is wrong with him.

6) Ellipse Weapons: Secret Service documents show that hundreds of weapons were confiscated from spectators who passed through metal detectors at the January event. 6 Rally Ellipse.

• They include 242 canisters of pepper spray, 269 knives or blades, 18 brass knuckles, 18 tasers, 6 pieces of bulletproof vests, 3 gas masks and 30 batons or blunt instruments.
• There were also 17 other “miscellaneous objects” including scissors, needles or screwdrivers.
• Thousands of participants “deliberately stayed off the magnetometers”, the report said, citing Secret Service documents, testimony from a rioter and documentary footage from British filmmaker Nick Quested.

7) Ashley Babbit: Trump was notified of the shooting of rioter Ashley Babbitt sometime after 3:05 p.m. on January 1. 6 with a note, written by White House aide William “Beau” Harrison, which read: “1x CIVIL SHOT WOUND TO CHEST @ CHABER HOUSE DOOR [sic]”.

• Harrison was notified by email at 3:05 p.m. and told the committee that he wrote the memo and forwarded it to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows or his deputy, Anthony Ornato.
• An anonymous White House employee told the committee, “I remember seeing this [note] in front of [President Trump]yeah.”
• According to the report, “There is no evidence that this affected the President’s state of mind that day, and we found no evidence that the President expressed remorse that day.”