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A surprise witness was necessary for a significant legal case. Prior to June of last year, the hearings held by Congress to investigate the attempted coup at the US Capitol in January 2021 were uneventful: Democrats presented evidence that Trump had incited the violent mob, while Republicans responded with repeated insults. However, during one hearing, Cassidy Hutchinson, a young Republican who had previously worked for Trump’s chief of staff, entered the room. Despite not being well-known, her testimony, prompted by a guilty conscience, confirmed that Trump and his associates had deliberately spread lies about the presidential election and encouraged extremist groups to disrupt the certification of Biden’s victory using weapons like bear spray and flagpoles turned into spears.

In her memoir, Hutchinson reveals more scandalous and unscrupulous details compared to her sanitized account given in Congress. She recounts instances of Trump’s temper, such as throwing plates and squirting ketchup on the walls of his dining room near the Oval Office. She also witnesses Meadows destroying incriminating documents that should have been archived by the government, while his wife complains about the cost of cleaning the stench from his suits after burning them. As Trump urges his supporters to storm the Capitol, Giuliani, who seemed to be enjoying the chaos like a sedative, makes advances towards Hutchinson. Disillusioned and disgusted, she ultimately decides, as stated in the book’s title, that she has had enough of the president and his aggressive group of guards.

Earlier, Trump’s actions revealed his true character as a weak and effeminate man. He refused to wear face masks during the pandemic because it would draw attention to his heavily bronzed skin. In the winter, he had a valet blow-dry the insides of his leather gloves to keep his small fingers warm. He even gave unsolicited beauty advice, suggesting adding blond streaks to someone’s dark hair. It is casually mentioned that Trump dislikes animals, a clear sign of his cowardice and reluctance to confront creatures that are not impressed by his wealth or celebrity. In a fit of petulance, he tried to overturn the US constitution because he was embarrassed by his loss in the election.

Hutchinson is less open-minded when it comes to discussing herself. She grew up in a working-class family in New Jersey and was exposed to feelings of isolation and bitterness, which later led to the creation of individuals such as the Unabomber, QAnon, and Trump’s Maga supporters. Her father taught her to be wary of anyone with a government badge or wearing a white coat. In fact, he even suggested performing an appendectomy on her with a pocketknife. During hunting trips, he instilled in her what he called “the warrior spirit” and toughened her by using turtles as targets and eating the deer he hunted.

Despite having a college education, Hutchinson fell under the influence of Trump’s rants and willingly served as his “loyal foot soldier”. It wasn’t until later that she realized she had become a part of a movement – or possibly a nihilistic death cult – that aimed to create chaos. She had a series of incidents, including crashing a golf cart while intoxicated at Camp David and a colleague nearly burning down a cabin at the presidential retreat. During this time, Meadows asked her if she would take a bullet for Trump, to which she responded that she would, but would prefer to take it in the leg. This sassy response showed that she was not the type of devoted follower that Trump required.

At the conclusion of the novel, Hutchinson’s father, who is a devoted supporter of Trump, sells his home and disappears without a trace. She is relieved to be free of him, unaware that he may be somewhere in the wilderness with extremist groups like the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers, preparing for their next conflict. After spending months in hiding, Hutchinson reenters society and adopts a new companion – a cockapoo puppy named George, in honor of George Washington, the founding father of the struggling republic. While George’s affectionate gestures may bring comfort to Hutchinson, it will take much more than a puppy’s love to fix the current state of affairs in Washington.

Source: theguardian.com