Cipollone has, in recent months, made several moves that signaled he was no longer close with Trump. Most prominently, he attended a book party for former attorney general William P. Barr, mingling with a crowd that included some of the committee’s eventual star witnesses. But he has privately expressed skepticism to allies about testifying, saying he fears it would set a dangerous precedent…

The committee came under increasing scrutiny from Trump allies on Wednesday for highlighting Hutchinson’s claims about Trump lunging at a Secret Service officer and trying to grab the wheel of the presidential SUV. One person familiar with direct knowledge of the committee’s work said the committee did not have direct evidence to corroborate or repudiate Hutchinson’s testimony, and some people involved in the committee’s work said they hoped more evidence would emerge to substantiate her claims.