Cassidy Hutchinson says Trump criticism had ‘tremendous’ impact on her life

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson on Wednesday said criticism from former President Trump after she testified before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol have had a “tremendous” impact on her life.

“I mean, in short, it’s been tremendous,” Hutchinson said Wednesday in an interview with CNN when asked about the impact of Trump’s attacks. “And it’s something that I think we have to take really seriously and other witnesses coming forward have to take really seriously.”

Hutchinson, the former assistant to chief of staff Mark Meadows, was the first White House aide to publicly testify before the panel in June 2022. Her testimony provided insight into Trump’s reactions on the day of the insurrection.

During her testimony, she detailed Trump’s indifference to chants of “Hang Mike Pence” at the Capitol after former Vice President Mike Pence refused to overturn the 2020 election results.

Hutchinson on Wednesday said she is thankful she was surrounded by a team of lawyers who “really insulated and protected” her in the wake of Trump’s remarks.

“I knew what I was getting myself into when I left the Trump World and regrettably, I knew that because I had once been part of that playbook,” she said. “I know how they attack the people who they feel most threatened by and they will do whatever means necessary to take them down and ruin their reputation and their image in the name of promoting Donald Trump.”

She also said she still has “difficult points” and “hard days,” but remembers the testimonies of those whose lives were “upended” during the 2020 election.

“When we talk about Donald Trump, how he’s completely devoid of any leadership quality … that right there, tells you who Donald Trump is. He waged attacks on the American people,” Hutchinson said.

The Hill reached out to Trump’s campaign for further comment.

Trump last month called out Hutchinson over her now-disputed testimony about the former president’s actions toward his driver on Jan. 6.

The former president asked on Truth Social if Hutchinson will be prosecuted for telling what he called “fake stories” about him, and he claimed he “barely” knew her.