- In an op-ed, Mick Mulvaney wrote that Trump could face accusations of obstruction of justice.
- Per Mulvaney, such claims are the threat that Trump should be most worried about.
- He also described Cassidy Hutchinson’s January 6 testimony as “eminently credible.”
Former acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said on Wednesday that he believes the real threat to Trump is the potential evidence the January 6 panel has that may lead to accusations of obstruction of justice.
In an op-ed for USA Today, Mulvaney weighed in on the bombshell testimony given before the panel by Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Mulvaney’s successor, Mark Meadows.
Mulvaney wrote that he had previously defended the former president against claims that he did “anything illegal or criminal” in relation to the Capitol riot. However, Mulvaney said he was having difficulty maintaining that position, particularly after Hutchinson’s testimony, which he found “eminently credible.”
“Because after some of the bombshells that got dropped in that hearing, my guess is that things could get very dark for the former president,” Mulvaney wrote.
Mulvaney noted that there was one real threat to Trump revealed during Tuesday’s hearing that did not hinge on Hutchinson’s words or credibility. “It is the one that jumped out at me. And it is the one that should most worry the former president,” Mulvaney wrote.
He referred to the evidence presented by Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, which showed two messages that January 6 panel witnesses say they received before giving their depositions. The messages included allusions to being a “team player” to “stay in the good graces in Trump world,” as well as reminders that Trump reads transcripts of interviews.
Mulvaney added that the implication behind displaying the messages during the hearing was “crystal clear.”
“The Jan. 6 committee members believe they have evidence that people within the Trump operation attempted to intimidate witnesses. And that, any way you slice it, is obstruction of justice,” Mulvaney wrote.
“Even if Donald Trump were as innocent as the virgin snow that Jan. 6, even if he didn’t know about the guns, or didn’t assault his agent, or had absolutely no clue what the Proud Boys were up to if he obstructed justice related to the Jan. 6 hearings, then he could well become just the next politician to learn the hard lesson that it usually isn’t the crime. It’s the cover-up.” Mulvaney added.
