The Hoax

Trump Grabbed The Steering Wheel Of The Beast On January 6

In the aftermath of the events of January 6th 2020, a sensational claim emerged alleging that former President Donald Trump grabbed the steering wheel of the presidential limousine, known as “The Beast,” in a confrontation with Secret Service agents. The claim is that Trump wanted the driver to go to the Capital building.

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What Really Happened

Secret Service Agents In The Beast Denied Trump Ever Attempted To Grab The Steering Wheel Of The Beast

Both agents involved in the incident and the driver of the limousine have refuted Hutchinson’s account. They maintain that no such altercation occurred, contradicting Hutchinson’s second-hand testimony. The two agents offered to testify under oath. The fact that they were never offered that opportunity tells you all you need to know.

Secret Service denial of Hutchinson story fuels attacks from both sides

“There’s a lot of what Ms. Hutchinson said that is true. Certainly [Trump] wanted to go to the Capitol, that much we know. He said that publicly, he reiterated that inside the car,” a source close to the Secret Service told The Hill on Tuesday. 

But the agency has also pushed back on Hutchinson’s account that Trump lunged for the SUV’s steering wheel, and then toward the neck of Secret Service agent Robert Engel, after being told he was going back to the Oval Office — and not to the Capitol — following his defiant speech on the Ellipse. 

Those acts of aggression, Hutchinson said, were relayed to her at the White House shortly after the rally by Tony Ornato, who upset Secret Service tradition by temporarily serving as Trump’s deputy chief of staff for operations. Engel was in the room during that conversation, she added, and did not dispute the details. 

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Hoaxology | How The Hoax Was Made

Here’s how this hoax was made.

Relying on Inconsistent Witness Testimony

In the case of the claim that Trump grabbed the steering wheel of “The Beast” on January 6, 2020, relying on inconsistent witness testimony was a method used to fuel the hoax. Cassidy Hutchinson’s second-hand account, which suggested that Trump attempted to grab the steering wheel and lunge at a Secret Service agent, was contradicted by the Secret Service agents and the limousine driver involved. Despite these refutations, Hutchinson’s testimony was highlighted to create a dramatic narrative. The inconsistency between Hutchinson’s account and the official denials from key witnesses allowed the sensational claim to gain traction, as her testimony was used to build a misleading story without providing a balanced view of the refuting evidence. This reliance on conflicting and unreliable witness accounts helped perpetuate the hoax by focusing on the most dramatic elements while disregarding corroborative evidence that challenged the narrative.

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