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Cassidy Hutchinson’s book, “Enough” is emotionally moving. She describes her colorful and stress-filled experiences in the White House during the controversial administration of former President Donald Trump. She wants to set the record straight from an insider whose desk was steps away from the Oval Office during the January 6, 2021, crisis in the White House, a day when chaos permeated the entire building.
From an idealistic young girl thrilled to have a job in the White House, she grew to be an assistant to Mark Meadows, Chief of Staff, making appointments for him as well as typing the various communications he wanted sent. Quick, tactful, and an expert on a computer, she was a great asset to all the staff.
Her book goes back to her early childhood. She had a difficult life and moved from place to place with her mother and brother, Jack, after her parents divorce. Her father was an arrogant, unkind man who took her on hunting trips as a child, where he would kill animals cruelly, and she would cry, yet she grew up strong and independent.
She got into a small college on scholarships and worked free of charge as a summer intern for two offices in Washington. She worked in the offices of Congressman Scalise and Senator Cruz. After college, she applied to work in the White House. She is Republican and remains one. She respected Trump but did not want to be dominated by him, although she tried hard to please him and his staff. She loved working in the White House because of her love of American History, which she had studied in college. She felt it was an honor and privilege to work in the White House.
During the tense first week of January 2021 that culminated in the events of January 6, she experienced the heightening tensions generated in the political climate created by Trump. He had rejected the fact that he had lost the election and was making plans to protest the authenticity of the election at the Capitol building. Cassidy mentioned to Mark that plans for the event at the capitol building sounded dangerous. She suggests that Mark explains this to Trump; however, Mark remains silent, and he remains in his office staring at his cell phone until it is too late and the capitol building is under siege. There was no responsible leadership in the White House.
At another time, Mark told Cassidy that she would not be going to Florida with the insider group to help with the transition because Trump thought Cassidy had leaked information to the press. The leak concerned a “Crossfire Hurricane” binder with private information in it on how Russia impacted the election of 2016, which helped Trump defeat Hillary Clinton. Cassidy did not leak that information to anyone. She was very hurt, but Mark said he would find her another job in Washington when the group left for Florida. Later, a reporter dropped off the Crossfire Hurricane binder to her office, saying he was just returning it to Mark Meadows! Cassidy then knew who had leaked the information to the right-wing press.
However, Cassidy was more afraid of getting a subpoena concerning the January 6 investigation and did not know what to do. Mark supplied a lawyer who told her she would not perjure herself if she could not recall things or remember things. After being served the subpoena, Cassidy had an interview with Liz Cheney. As a casual comment, Cassidy said she was nervous about being interviewed by the Jan. 6 investigating committee. She did not have any money for a lawyer, and the Trump organization was paying for the one she had. Liz Cheney gave her the name of a law office to call if she decided to have another legal opinion. That lawyer said they would represent her pro bono. Having her own independent lawyer gave her more freedom to tell the whole truth. She realized the people she had been working for were using her and providing her with inadequate legal protection. What they were protecting was the Trump machine.
The euphoria of entering the White House every day with an I.D. card, as well as the need for a job, kept her there. She also felt she was experiencing part of history, even in a job that required a back seat.
The book shows “The good old boys stuck together” to protect their interests and themselves, yet Cassidy told the simple truth and ran circles around their efforts to keep her quiet and hidden. It reflects the spirit of a young woman who rises above the chaos and corruption among experienced politicians and dares to stand alone in revealing what really happened behind the scenes in the White House during the crisis of January 6, 2021. She thanks Mark Salter, a friend who helped her pull together her ideas and was once a speech writer for John McCain. The book shows a young woman’s high ideals and love of America.
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