Trump’s presidential diarist tells Jan. 6 committee White House officials
The committee interviewed Trump’s presidential diarist roughly two weeks ago. That interview has not been previously reported, nor has the testimony describing a noticeable drop-off in information provided by Oval Office staff leading up to January 6.
Other witnesses also have told the panel there was significantly less information being shared with those involved in White House record-keeping during the same time period, according to three sources familiar with the investigation.
One source described how White House record-keepers appeared to be “iced out” in the days leading up to January 6.
“The last day that normal information was sent was the 4th,” said another source familiar with the investigation. “So, starting the 5th, the diarist didn’t receive the annotated calls and notes. This was a dramatic departure. That is all out of the ordinary.”
The White House diarist normally receives many streams of information, including the phone logs from the switchboard, the president’s movements from the US Secret Service and, critically, the notes from Oval Office operations, which detail calls, guests and activities.
But sources close to the panel’s investigation do not seem to know yet who, if anyone, directed a change in record-keeping or what the motivation behind that change was, raising questions about whether the lack of information was intentional or for staffing issues.
“It’s tough to know what that change was. Was it intentional?” one source said. “You can only keep track of something when you know what’s going on. When people don’t share things with you, whether that was intentional and who decided that, I think it’s a little murky at this point.”
The House committee declined to comment.
CNN reached out to a spokesman for Trump and did not hear back. CNN has also reached out to the National Archives for comment.
While the select committee does not have detailed notes about the comings and goings into the Oval Office on January 6, they have received testimony that has helped fill in some of the gaps, according to a source familiar with the investigation. That includes calls Trump made and received, as well as who was with him in the private dining room off the Oval Office as he reportedly watched the riot unfold on television.
The presidential diary that was generated for January 6 contains scant details. It lists information from the switchboard call logs and Trump’s public schedule but little else besides a phone call the…
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