Cassidy Hutchinson, who was aided by former President Donald Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, testified on Tuesday at a surprise hearing of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
She told the committee that Mr Trump was informed that the supporters he had addressed had weapons, including AR-15 s, handguns, brass knuckles and batons, and that they were equipped with body armor, but he still instructed them to march to the Capitol.
Ms Hutchinson testified that she was told by Mr. Meadow's deputy.
Mr Trump ordered his staff to take away the metal-detecting magnetometers he thought would slow down supporters who had gathered in Washington, according to Ms Hutchinson.
In videotaped testimony played before the committee, she recalled the former president saying words to the effect of "I don't f-in' care that they have weapons." Ms Hutchinson said that they were not here to hurt me.