“Today’s hearing had been rushed, out of concerns for my safety, news reports claimed, and, I expect, out of concern that I might back out at the last minute. I just might have. I had been episodically panic-stricken for the last twenty-four hours. The night before I had pleaded with my lawyers, Jody Hunt and Bill Jordan, that I wasn’t ready and needed more time. I had threatened to bolt on the car ride to the hearing, and again as I peered from a holding room into the bright, bustling hearing room.”

Hutchinson reveals how panicked she felt on the day of her testimony for the January 6 Committee. While commentators in the media called her poised, Hutchinson almost fled from her commitment to testify. This quotation invites the reader to sympathize with Hutchinson and recognize the pressure she felt in the political and media spotlight. The use of first-person here and casual language (“threatened to bolt") here and throughout the memoir are intended to create intimacy and build pathos between Hutchinson and the reader.

“I had only seen police officers around Pennington before, and Dad would bristle when they encroached on our space. Other than the few New Jersey state troopers who Dad was friends with, Dad frequently reminded me that I should never trust anyone with a government badge.”

Hutchinson recalls how her father taught her to be distrustful of the government and anyone who worked for the government in any capacity. However, Hutchinson admired her Uncle Joe for serving in the military and immediately connected with him. This quotation helps the reader understand the different political influences that Hutchinson was exposed to as a child. This also foreshadows the tension between Hutchinson and her father as the memoir recounts her experiences as a government employee.

“At the very bottom of the package was a long, flat box with my name on it. I ripped off the duct tape that sealed the box shut and found an American flag in the traditional trifold. In a note, Uncle Joe had explained that he had saluted the flag every morning and had sent it all the way from Afghanistan just for me. I had never received such a meaningful gift before. Mom helped me thumbtack the flag above my bed so that it was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes every morning, and the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes at night.”

Hutchinson recalls receiving an American flag from her Uncle Joe while he was stationed in Afghanistan. This gift resonated with Hutchinson’s growing patriotism and her close connection with her uncle.