The Trump Administration was filled with far too many incompetent boobs, starting with Donald Trump (r).

Testimony:

SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE
JANUARY 6TH ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL,
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WASHINGTON, D.C.

DEPOSITION OF: KASHYAP PRAMOD PATEL

Thursday, December 9, 2021
Washington, D.C

[Page 49]

[….]
Q How about the summer of 2020? asked you some questions about the impact that the summer protests had on preparation. Right now, separate from any email, separate from any document, what do you remember about how what happened in the summer impacted preparations for January 6th?

[Discussion off the record.]

The Witness. So, at that time, in the summer of 2020, I was deputy assistant to the President and senior director for counterterrorism. So that was my focus.

BY [….] Q I understand.

A So what I remember? I remember the media and the Lafayette Square incident. Of course, I remember the media’s portrayal of it, and I remember the video and the walk-across. I don’t recall having conversations with intel or DOD at that time, and —

Q That’s not my question. My question is, in January, the first few days of January of 2021–

A Uh-huh.

Q — you’re the chief of staff to the Secretary of Defense. Was there any discussion that you recall about what happened in the summer impacting preparations, DOD preparations, for what was coming on January 6th?

A So I believe I addressed that, so I’ll refer back to that answer. But, to address your question again, I rely on what I previously stated. But do I recall conversations about the summer in early January?

Q Yes.

A I recall some conversations with leadership at the Department that it came up. The specifics I do not recall.

Q Okay. Again, as you sit here today, no recollection of any of the specifics of how the summer protest events impacted the Defense Department’s preparation?

A I think as I stated earlier, what I do remember is that the senior leadership that was in place at the Department of Defense reminded senior leadership that was then in place of lessons learned. And whatever those lessons learned were documented by us in our recording — in our reportings, excuse me. And so, outside of that, I don’t have any other independent memory of not using anything else.

Q What were the lessons learned?

A You’d have to ask the people that were there —

Q I’m asking you, Mr. Patel.

A Well, I wasn’t there.

Q In your mind, what were the lessons learned from the summer that affected preparations for January 6th?

A The biggest lesson in my mind —

Q Yes.

A — looking back at the arc of this entire thing —

Q Great.

A — is that the Members of Congress did not want an arms display, for lack of a better word, on National Guardsmen and -women ever. That’s my recollection.

Q Okay.

A Now, that’s what the number one — I wouldn’t call it number one — that was a lesson learned that I recall other folks saying, but that’s about it.

Q And how did that relate to the summer of 2020?

A I’m not sure. What do you mean?

Q What do you recall — you said Members of Congress didn’t want an armed display. How does that in some way — again, your recollection — reach back to what happened in the summer of 2020?

A I think it stems from, I believe, Chairman Milley at the time walked across Lafayette Square with a sidearm holstered on his military uniform. I believe that’s what that reference was to. And Chairman Milley would have a better idea of those conversations because it impacted him directly.

Q I’m not asking you to look inside of Chairman Milley or anybody else’s mind. I’m just asking you, in your role as a high-level official in the Department of Defense, how the summer events affected preparation for the riot at the Capitol.

A Look, I believe I’ve answered it. I mean, if you would like, we can again look at things that can help to jog my memory, but I believe I’ve answered your question.

Q You have no independent recollection beyond the stuff, the documents, that we’ve provided you —

Mr. Gabe. Respectfully, you’ve asked him the same question in slightly different ways five or six times. He’s testified to what he remembers, his best recollection. He’s talked about what he doesn’t recall, but — and I understand that you may wish that he recalled more, but he’s answered the question, like, five times.

BY [….] Q I’m just trying to pinpoint whether you have any independent recollection beyond the documents that you’ve been provided to review today.

A Beyond the documents that I’ve been directed to review, beyond whatever was provided, and beyond whatever I’ve already said, outside of that, I don’t have an independent recollection.

Q Okay. I thought that’s what you said. Thank you.

[….]

“…Q What do you recall — you said Members of Congress didn’t want an armed display. How does that in some way — again, your recollection — reach back to what happened in the summer of 2020?

A I think it stems from, I believe, Chairman Milley at the time walked across Lafayette Square with a sidearm holstered on his military uniform. I believe that’s what that reference was to. And Chairman Milley would have a better idea of those conversations because it impacted him directly…”

That’s it? Interestingly there was quite a bit more in all the video coverage. Quite a bit more.

==========
Update: There is plenty of photographic coverage of General Mark Milley dressed in his BDUs accompanying Donald Trump (r) on the infamous walk across Lafayette Square. No belt or “holstered” sidearm on General Milley is visible in a multitude of images.
==========

[page 52]

BY [….] Q Okay. Let’s start on January 6th, on the day of.

A Uh-huh.

Q When did you first learn about the — any type of escalation of violence at the Capitol?

A I’m not sure. I think it’s detailed in the timeline I provided you, so I would say whatever that timeline says is the appropriate answer.

BY [….] Q Well, the timeline’s not just your memory, though, right? Without the timeline, do you remember when you first learned on that day that there was a breach at the Capitol?

A I believe late morning, early afternoon, from the best of my memory, is that on TV — and there’s TVs on at the Department of Defense, and there was a showing by video cameras that people were marching towards the Capitol. So whenever that was, in and around that time is when we saw it.

Q “We” meaning who?

A Whoever was in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where the TVs were on.

Q And do you remember listening to President Trump’s speech that day?

A I don’t. I believe I was working on a number of other things.

Q Did you speak to anybody — after you saw the march up to the Capitol, what happened next, from your memory?

A As best as I can recall, there was a lot of phone call activity that started happening. We tried to divvy up the work as best we could to be responsive to Congress, to public affairs, to the White House.

[….]

[page 59]

[….]
Q Did Tony Ornate ever reach out to you?

A Being the deputy chief of staff to Mark Meadows, he probably did. He —

Q On January 6th?

A Tony and I — Mr. Ornate and I have worked together for a long time, and so it’s possible he also reached out. I’m telling you, I can’t remember every phone call I had. If there’s something you can show me, like a call log, that says I talked to them, maybe I can narrow it down.

Q Did you talk to the President at all during January 6th?

A I don’t believe that the President — President Trump and I spoke on January 6th. That’s my memory.

Q Do you not believe — wouldn’t you remember if the President reached out to you on January 6th?

A Not necessarily. But I’m telling you, I don’t remember him doing so, and I don’t remember calling him on January 6th.

Q When you say “not necessarily,” there’s an attack on the Capitol, and he is the President of the United States.

A Okay.

Q You wouldn’t remember if you talked to him on January 6th?

[Discussion off the record.]

The Witness. Yeah, as I said, I don’t remember having a phone call with the President on January 6th.

BY [….] Q So, Mr. Patel, just so I’m clear, that does not mean you did not have a call with the President on January 6th. States during an attack on the Capitol would be memorable, no?

A To me?

Q To you.

A To me as chief of staff? It might be. I know this might be hard for you to believe, but I talked to the President a number chimes. So, any time that the President called, it was a memorable moment. But I don’t remember every single phone call I fielded, especially on a day when I fielded upwards of 100 phone calls.

Q So you have no recollection if the President called you or did not call you.

A I believe — as I said, I don’t believe we spoke on January 6th.

Q But by saying “I don’t believe” — and you’ve been an attorney, a trial attorney — it’s not precluding that you did have a conversation with President Trump.

A And, as I’ve said, if you show me a call log that says —

Q I don’t have to show you a call log for you to jog your memory if you talked to President Trump or not.

Mr. Gabe. Hold on just a second.
[….]

Apparently any memoir will be really short.

Too many people bear responsibility for all of this.

Go to the transcripts. Pick one, any one. You will and should be horrified.

Previously:

Confederate Dunces (January 2, 2023)