Jun 28, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Meadows said Trump felt Pence "deserves" to be hanged, former top aide testifies

Andrew Solender

Photo of Mike Pence speaking while gesturing with his hands — Photo: Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said on Jan. 6 that former President Trump felt former Vice President Mike Pence "deserves" to be hanged, according to a former top aide to Meadows.

Why it matters: The testimony underscores how Trump's sympathies during the Jan. 6 attack were with the rioters and their belief that Pence was a traitor for resisting Trump's entreaties to help overturn the 2020 election.

What they're saying: Meadows' former top aide Cassidy Hutchinson said in closed-door testimony that Meadows, Trump and former White House counsel Pat Cipollone had a conversation in the Oval Office dining room on Jan. 6 about Capitol rioters chanting "hang Mike Pence."

Hutchinson testified that, after that conversation, Cipollone urged Meadows, "Mark we need to do something more. They're literally calling for the VP to be f---ing hung."
"Mark had responded something to the effect of, 'You heard him, Pat, he thinks Mike deserves it. He doesn't think they're doing anything wrong,'" she said, adding that she thought "they're" referred to the Capitol rioters.

Go deeper: Top White House aide warned of security risk to Pence before Jan. 6

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Meadows said Trump felt Pence "deserves" to be hanged, former top aide testifies

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