“WHILE WE WERE IN THE AIR, AN ADVANCE STAFFER TEXTED ME NEWS I DIDN’T WANT. TED CRUZ HAD PRESSURED OLA [OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS] TO GET LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE SECRET SERVICE TO ALLOW HIM ON THE TARMAC TO GREET POTUS,” SHE WROTE. “I HAD RELAYED … VERY STRICT INSTRUCTIONS FROM MARK AND THE PRESIDENT, YET THERE HE NOW WAS AS WE LANDED, STANDING NEXT TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT, READY TO GRIN AND GRIP WITH THE PRESIDENT, WHO WAS EXPECTING HIM ONLY AT THE ROUNDTABLE.”
“I WAS INFURIATED,” SHE CONTINUED. “I SPOTTED CRUZ AND MADE A DASH FOR HIM.”
Hutchinson described being infuriated by Cruz’s presence on the tarmac and approaching him in an attempt to address the situation. She mentioned that an advance staffer tried to get Cruz to leave, which reportedly angered him.
As a top aide to Mark Meadows, Hutchinson asserted her authority in the situation, stating, “I don’t give a damn about Cruz’s feelings.” She made it clear that she was following the instructions she had received from the President and his chief of staff.
Hutchinson recounted her conversation with Cruz, where she initially thanked him for being present but emphasized that the President had a specific vision for the visit, which involved only Governor Abbott greeting him.
According to Hutchinson, Cruz asked her if she enjoyed her job, to which she responded that if he disregarded her instructions again, it would be “the last presidential event you ever receive an invitation to.”
Hutchinson later informed Mark Meadows about the incident, expressing her frustration and highlighting that Cruz’s actions were undermining her authority.
Following a conversation between Meadows and Cruz, the senator approached Hutchinson again, cautioning her not to be a “tattletale.” Hutchinson, in turn, warned Cruz not to disrespect her authority.
Hutchinson’s memoir sheds light on this incident as well as her role in the White House. Her previous testimony before the House January 6 committee regarding Trump’s conduct after the 2020 election and her frustrations with Meadows during the Capitol riot also drew significant attention.
