It was long unclear exactly when Trump heard of the danger facing Congress and its vice president – even though it was broadcast on television – but Tuberville’s claim would indicate at a specific moment that Trump had been notified that Pence had to be evacuated for his own safety.
Assistance to the former president did not immediately return a request for comment.
The House charged Trump last month with inciting the January 6 uprising and their case begins Wednesday, the first of two days to present their testimony. The Tuberville call was among their examples to show that Trump remained determined to stop Biden’s victory, even though it became clear that a mob dedicated to him had looted the Capitol. Trump, according to them, did nothing to publicly call out the rioters and instead called on Tuberville to continue its effort to stop the transition of power.
The phone call itself focused on the case of Trump’s accusations against Trump, which were heard during Wednesday’s Senate arguments. The administrators noted that while a mob was entering the Senate, Trump was ignoring his allies’ requests to call him in public. Instead, Trump accidentally called Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) when he tried to get in touch with Tuberville to ask that the Alabama senator continue to object to the election results to buy time. According to reports in Deseret News and CNN in Utah, Lee gave his phone to the newly elected legislature for the short call.
Home managers say the call came shortly after 2 p.m. Pence was evacuated from the room around 2:15 p.m., and Trump sent his tweet at 2:24 p.m. to attack Pence. The entire Senate was cleared around 2:30 p.m.
Meridith McGraw contributed to this report.