The lack of official notation in the White House for any calls made to or from Trump for 457 minutes – from 11:17 a.m. until 6:54 p.m. – January 6, 2021, means that there is no record of calls made by Trump Supporters descended on the US Capitol, fought with police and stormed the building, forcing lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence to flee for safety .
The 11 pages of the archives – consisting of the president’s official daily diary and the diary on the White House distribution board – were handed over from the National Archives earlier this year to a select House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.
Records show Trump was active on the phone for part of the day, documenting conversations he had with at least eight people that morning and 11 that night. The vacuum also contrasts sharply with extensive public reports of telephone conversations he had with allies during the attack.
White House records handed over to the House show a gap of more than 7 hours in the Trump diary on January 6 at 5:30 p.m.
The House panel is now investigating whether Trump communicated that day via back channels, auxiliary phones or disposable personal phones known as “burn phones”, according to two knowledgeable investigators who, like others interviewed, for this report, they spoke on the condition of anonymity for the discussion of sensitive information. The committee is also examining whether it received the full log from that day.
Records show that former White House chief of staff Steven K. Bannon – who said in his Jan. 5 podcast that “hell will break out tomorrow” – spoke with Trump twice on Jan. 6.
A committee spokesman declined to comment.
In a statement Monday night, Trump said: “I have no idea what a burning phone is, as far as I know I have never even heard the term.”
A Trump spokesman said Trump had nothing to do with the files and had assumed that all his phone calls were recorded and retained.
For more, read the Washington Post story co-authored by Costa and Woodward.
Attack on the US Capitol
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