‘They’re Not Here to Hurt Me’: Witness Says Trump Demanded Cops Let Armed Supporters Into Jan. 6 Rally — Then Sent Them to Capitol

The Jan. 6 committee presented bombshell testimony Tuesday from a witness alleging that former President Donald Trump knew that guns, knives and other weapons were being confiscated at the entry point for his speech at the White House Ellipse — yet he wanted metal detectors removed so that the crowd would be larger.

In stunning excerpts of a videotaped deposition, Cassidy Hutchinson — the ex-top aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows — testified that weapons including “knives, guns, in the form of pistols and rifles, bear spray, body armor, spears and flag poles” were on site. Hutchinson testified that Tony Ornato, Trump’s lead Secret Service agent, informed the former president about the weapons. Ornato’s response, according to Hutchinson?

“He’s aware,” Ornato said of Trump.

Hutchinson then testified that Trump wanted metal detectors removed from the venue so that the crowd would be larger.

“When we were in the off stage area, a tent behind the stage, he was very concerned about the shot — meaning the photograph that we would get, because the rally space wasn’t full,” Hutchinson said. One of the reasons, which I previously stated, was because he wanted it to be full and for people to not feel excluded because they had come far to watch him at the rally and he felt the [metal detectors] were at fault. But another reason, primary reason because he wanted it full — and he was angry we were not letting people through the [metal detectors] with weapons … But when we were in the offstage tent, I was part of a conversation, I was in the vicinity of a conversation .I overheard the president say something to the effect of ‘I don’t f-ing care they have weapons! They’re not here to hurt me! ‘Take the f-ing [metal detectors] away! They can March to the Capitol from here! ‘Take the [metal detectors] away!”

The videotape was then cut off. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) then asked Hutchinson to confirm the stunning testimony she’d given on tape.

“Just to be clear, Miss Hutchinson, is it your understanding the president wanted to take the [metal detectors] away and said that the armed individuals were not there to hurt him?” Cheney asked.

“That’s a fair assessment,” Hutchinson said.

Watch above, via Fox News.