A Trump aide witnessed 'shredding' documents once warned him 'don't go into the room'

A Trump aide testified that he watched Trump 'tear up'

the documents and that Meadows once warned him 'don't go into the room'

CBS News obtained audio recordings of Nick Luna's deposition. He told the House committee considering the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, that he saw Trump's "tear" papers.

Have you ever seen him tear up notes?

In his testimony before the Committee on March 21, Luna said

I don't know what the documents are but there was [rupture].

Federal law provides for the strict preservation and eventual submission of presidential documents to the National Archives, in accordance with the Presidential Records Act.

Dan George :

• the commission's senior investigative adviser

• reiterated his question about whether Trump tore down

• any documents, to which Luna replied, "That's true."

However :

Luna claimed that he did not recall details of

any records that might have been destroyed.

In the final weeks of Trump's presidency

Luna :

who served as his personal assistant inside the White House

oversaw Oval Office operations and could have communicated exceptionally with the president. On the day of the Capitol attack, he was one of the staffers who accompanied Trump a lot.

Audio recordings also show Luna stating that Mark Meadows

the White House chief of staff, told him not to enter the room before a meeting with state Republican lawmakers who wanted to invalidate the 2020 presidential election.

Luna told the Committee:

• There was one case where it was normal for me to go

• and make sure that (the Chairman) was comfortable anywhere.

• I remember, specifically, this case [Meadows]

• said," No, don't go in, don't go in the room today. 

Luna said in court that he could not remember specifically

when the White House :

chief of staff asked him not to enter the room

and that he was unaware of why Meadows allegedly asked him to leave.

He claimed, however

that the order came as Meadows was preparing to

meet with some of the state's visiting Republican legislators.

Trump met with Republican state leaders in

After the election, numerous times in the West Wing

• including on November 20, 2020, with members of Michigan

• and on November 25, 2020

• with politicians from Pennsylvania.

According to two Trump aides who were not allowed to speak publicly, these sessions included discussions on whether state legislatures could take legal or legislative action to reverse the election results in those states, which President Joe Biden won.

I just remember that [Meadows] was in the office

Luna told the House Select Committee.

• "I don't remember if it was Michigan

• or Pennsylvania. I didn't know 

• I don't remember those being places.

But I remember him on one of these, before going to the meeting, in my office. "

When asked about

the situation and if Meadows' request to leave the room was strange, Luna replied that he was not sure about the context but noted that it was unusual.

Maybe it was one of two or three times he asked me to do it, Luna said. However, I'm not sure if calling him a stranger is the correct classification.

When pressed further

Luna stressed that it was "logical" to draw the conclusion that asking you to leave the room before meeting with Trump was a "rare event."

His virtual testimony was in response to a subpoena issued by the Committee in November of the previous year.

Luna's attorney stated to CBS News on Tuesday:

Nick Luna gave a full and honest testimony and has no more comments.