Former deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger will testify in person at the hearing on Thursday, January 6, a source familiar with the committee’s plans told Axios.
Why it matters: Pottinger is an important witness the committee needs to show. He is well-respected on both sides of the aisle and worked for former President Trump from the start of his administration until Pottinger resigned in the immediate aftermath of the Capitol riot.
Between the lines: Pottinger was not in the Oval Office or around Trump on January 6, 2021, but he is an extremely credible witness and former member of the highest echelons of the Trump administration.
- As Jonathan Swan of Axios detailed in his Off the Rails series last year, which documented the unraveling of Trump’s final weeks in office, Pottinger immediately packed up and left after learning of the escalating attack on the Capitol.
The story: Pottinger, a former journalist, was brought to Trump’s National Security Council by former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
- He was the architect of many of Trump’s tough policies toward China.
- His testimony cannot be treated lightly or easily dismissed by those in Trumpworld.
What to watch: Former deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews, who also resigned on Jan. 6, will appear alongside Pottinger at Thursday’s hearing, the source said.
- Matthews has since criticized Trump for his actions on Jan. 6 and was one of a handful of former White House officials to defend Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to then-chief of staff Mark Meadows, against attacks on her credibility after she gave damning statements. testimony before the committee last month.
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