Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein calls Trump a ‘mad king’ and ‘seditious’ after bombshell Jan 6 hearing

‘The whole idea is now absolutely confirmed, proven, he is a criminal and a seditious president of the United States’

Bevan Hurley
Wednesday 29 June 2022 12:24 EDT
Comments
Fox News hosts left silent after Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Cassidy Hutchinson’s powerful testimony to the January 6 committee gave the clearest account yet of Donald Trump as an unhinged, lawless president, Carl Bernstein says.

“She gave a picture of a Mad King,” the legendary Watergate journalist told CNN on Tuesday night.

“The whole idea is now absolutely confirmed, proven, he is a criminal and a seditious president of the United States.”

Ms Hutchinson, a senior aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, gave a first-hand account of the run-up to the US Capitol riots on Tuesday at a surprise hearing of the select committee probing the insurrection.

She testified that Mr Trump tried to grab the steering wheel of his presidential limousine in an effort to go to the Capitol to join his supporters and ignored the warnings of his chief of staff who said things could get “real, real bad”.

Her testimony has drawn widespread praise from commentators and politicians, and prompted a series of bizarre denials from Mr Trump on Truth Social.

Carl Bernstein broke the Watergate story with Bob Woodward
Carl Bernstein broke the Watergate story with Bob Woodward (2018 Invision)

Mr Bernstein told CNN there was now a “legal, moral and political case” to prosecute Mr Trump and the supporters who have “gone along with his criminalty”.

“One of the big questions is how are some of these Republicans going to explain their silence.”

Ms Hutchinson also told the panel that Mr Trump threw his lunch against the wall when his then-attorney general Bill Barr knocked down claims of mass voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in