♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, pride targeted. the alarming rise of protests against lgbtq+ groups. >> did you guys call the cops? >> they took pride in his pies. >> how communities across the country are pushing forward. >> in order to change the world, you have to be out and you have to be present in the world. plus shocking testimony. the 26-year-old woman at the center of stunning new details about january 6th. what she says trump wanted to do that day. >> the president said something to the effect of, i'm the effing president, take me up to the capitol now. and tragedy in texas. the victims of the deadliest human smuggling operation in

u.s. history are remembered tonight.

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here's my "nightline" coanchor, juju chang. >> reporter: the glitz and the glamor all in a day's work for drag queen satine allure. >> drag is an art form. drag is no different from someone putting on a wig, makeup, and a costume, getting on a stage, putting on a play. >> reporter: but it's pride month, and this show in cary, north carolina, is different. it's not bright lights, big city. it's storytime for children. >> he took pride in his pies, cakes, bars -- >> reporter: for organizers, this event is taking place against an alarming rise in anti-lgbtq+ harassment and attacks nationally. a recent study showing a four-fold increase in incidents from 2020 to 2021. and the anti-defamation league tracking seven incidents over the course of just one weekend this month. >> this is sexual. >> reporter: in california's bay area, protesters at one drag queen story hour event got

especially heated. >> eight to ten proud boys marched in with cameras blazing, pointed at me, jeering from the back. >> reporter: a group of men affiliated with the bay area chapter of the proud boys entered the st. lorenzo library during the children's event. the host said they shouted slurs and accusations at her. >> they said, "who brought the t tranny?" "it's a groomer, it's a pedophile, why do you bring your kids to this event?" >> i have two little girls i support and i love, i will never allow you to take them. >> reporter: after abc news reached out to the far-right group for comment, they posted on social media saying, the bay area proud boys peacefully assembled and we condemn the willingness of the media to ignore our message against harming children while slandering our great name.

the authorities are working with the fbi to investigate this as a possible hate crime. >> i would say domestic terrorism took place. i think that a group of men decided to walk into a library and terrorize americans. >> reporter: beatrice thomas, also known by drag name black benatar, is the president of the national board for drag queen story hour and serves as director for the bay area chapter. >> what's the mission of drag queen story hour? what's the goal? >> we are a program that promotes authenticity, literacy, and children's safety. >> what was your group's response to that day? >> we were in a anti-violence project training maybe a day or two after the incident. it's like, we need to have some understanding of the policies around when to call the police and how to call the police. we need to have some dialogue with the venue itself, understanding what are their protocols?

>> reporter: at pride parades this past weekend, after the supreme court overturned roe v. wade, some americans concerned that other rights like same-sex marriage could be next to go. all this as more than 300 anti-lgbtq+ bills were introduced this year in state legislatures across the country. >> we're actually seeing a rise in anti-lgbtq hate. >> reporter: jonathan green blood is ceo of the anti-defamation league which tracks extremist groups and hate in america. what is this telling sinus. >> this captures data from our latest annual online hate harassment survey. 66% of the lgbtq users surveyed report being harassed. that is more than double, you can see, of almost any other minority group. >> the coordinated attacks on the lgbtq people that we're experiencing right now in the country are taking an enormous toll on our community.

>> reporter: sarah kate ellis is the president and ceo of glaad, an advocacy group focusing on light q plus issues and representation. >> you want to have a moment where you can stop fighting, stop defending who you are, stop defending your humanity, and just be. and it just seems like for the lgbtq community, it never lets up. >> reporter: on the same day as the drag queen story hour incident in california, in idaho, pride in the park was under way. bystanders captured video of a larger than normal police presence, authorities responding to a tip, pulling over a u-haul within ten minutes of the call. >> they had shields, shin guards, and other riot gear with them, including at least one smoke grenade. those 31 individuals have been arrested for conspiracy to riot. at this point they appear to be affiliated with the group patriot front.

>> reporter: the patriot front is a white nationalist group. >> they really prioritize the public event. they wear masks, they wear baseball caps, they'll sometimes carry american flags. then they'll march like military-style down the street. >> reporter: abc news reached out to the patriot front for comment, but they have yet to respond. the 31 men arrested in idaho have all bailed out of jail. many of them came from across state lines. >> we have individuals from individual, utah, idaho, colorado, south dakota, illinois, arkansas, wyoming, washington, oregon, and virginia. >> reporter: back in north carolina, this drag queen story hour chapter has been getting disturbing messages all month long. >> it's lots and lots of people that are very misinformed about what we do. and it's really, really

inappropriate things, really bordering on threats most of the time. they tell us that they don't want us to live anymore. >> reporter: this drag queen story hour event was delivered to a sold-out house. >> we weren't concerned about coming today. we did think about it, of course, what we would do if there were protesters. >> i have two young girls. my husband and i think it's important to expose them to as much diversity as we can. >> pride doesn't feel any different this year for me. it's something we've dealt with for years and it's something we're unfortunately going to have to keep dealing with until it eventually goes away. >> reporter: until then, this community is choosing to ignore the hate and push forward with a familiar rallying cry, "the show must go on." >> in order to change the world, you have to be out and you have to be present in the world. so no, there's no need to cancel your pride events. there's no reason to cancel your drag queen story hours. because someone is going to be

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♪ before today, few had heard of cassidy hutchinson, the former trump aide's testimony that was so explosive the january 6th committee called a surprise session, wanted the american people to hear for themselves what she says she

witnessed inside the west wing. and she did not disappoint. here's abc's chief washington correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: her name is cassidy hutchinson. she just turned 26. and today she told the american people what she witnessed from her vantage point just steps away from the oval office as the top aide to chief of staff mark meadows. she testified on january 2nd, as she escorted rudy giuliani from a white house meeting, he told her donald trump was planning to go to the capitol himself on january 6th. >> he looked at me and said something to the effect of, "cass, are you excited for the 6th? it's going to be a great day." i remember looking at him saying, "rudy, would you explain what's happening on the 6th?" he had responded something to the effect of, "we're going to the capitol, it's going to be great, the president's going to be there, he's going to look powerful, he's going to be with the members, he's going to be with the senators, talk to the chief about it, he knows about

it." >> did you go back, then, up to the west wing and tell mr. meadows about your conversation with mr. giuliano? >> i did. he didn't look up from his phone and said something to the effect of, "there's a lot going on, cass, but i don't know, things might get real, real bad on january 6th." that evening was the first moment that i remember feeling scared. >> reporter: then the morning of january 6th, hutchinson testified meadows was told there were weapons in the crowd. >> i remember tony mentioning knives, guns in the form of pistols and rifles, bear spray, body armor, spears, and flagpoles. spears were one item, flagpoles were one item, then tony had relayed to me something to the effect of, and these effing people are pass thenning spears onto the ends of flagpoles. >> reporter: they played police radio traffic from that morning

backing up the reports of armed protesters. >> i've got three men walking down the street in fatigues carrying ar-15s -- >> reporter: trump was 18. more of the crowd wasn't allowed around the secured area of the stage. some stayed outside is the security perimeter because they didn't want to give up their weapons. >> he wanted it full and he was angry we weren't letting people through with weapons. i heard the president say something to the effect of, "i don't care that they have weapons, they're not hurricane rita to hurt me, take my effing mags away." >> reporter: she testified white house counsel baloney was adamant trump not go to the capitol. >> he said something to the effect of, "please make sure we don't go up to the capitol, cassidy, keep in touch with me, we're going to get charge the with every crime imaginable if we make that movement happen." >> reporter: rough chin son said

trump was not willing to take no for an answer, and after his speech was over, he ordered the presidential vehicle to take him to capitol hill. lead secret service agent robert engle refused. hutchinson testified she saw him and the deputy chief of staff tony arnaudo just after they returned from the white house with an angry mr. trump. >> reporter: i saw him sitting in a chair, looking somewhat discombobulated, a little lost. >> reporter: she said she was told when the president got into the car, he believed he was heading to the capitol. >> once he had gotten into the vehicle with bobby, he thought they were going to the capitol. when bobby relayed to him, "we're not, we don't have the assets to do it, we're not secure, we're going back to the west wing," the presidented that very strong, very angry response to that. tony described him as being irate. the president said something to the effect of, "i'm the effing

president, take me up to the capitol now." to which bobby responded, "sir, we have to go back to the west wing." the president reached up towards the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel. mr. engle grabbed his arm, said "sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel, we're going back to the west wing, we're not going to the capitol." mr. trump then used his free hand to lunge towards bobby engle. when mr. renado recounted this story to me, he motioned towards his clavicles. >> reporter: it wasn't the first time trump had exploded in rage. hutchinson described seeing what happened a month earlier after attorney general bill barr declared there was no significant fraud in the election. >> ms. hutchinson, how did the president react to hearing that news? >> i first noticed there was ketchup dripping down the wall. there's a shattered porcelain

plate on the floor. the valet had articulated that the president was extremely angry at the attorney general's ap interview and had thrown his lunch against the wall. >> miss hutchinson, was this the only instance that you are aware of where the president threw dishes? >> it's not. there are several times throughout my tenure with the chief of staff that i was aware of him either throwing dishes or flipping the tablecloth to let all the contents of the table go onto the floor and likely break or go everywhere. >> reporter: on january 6th, even after he returned to the white house, trump still wanted to join the march to the capitol. >> he said he wanted to physically walk with the marchers, he wanted to be a part of the march himself, actually. >> reporter: but he did not go, and his supporters soon breached the capitol building.

hutchinson said chief of staff meadows initially did nothing. >> watching tv, chief? he said, yeah. the rioters are getting really close, have you talked to the president? he said, no, he wants to be alone right now. >> reporter: then the white house counsel came rushing in. >> i remember pat saying to him something to the effect of, the rioters have gotten to the capitol, mark, we need to go down and see the president now. and mark looked up at him and said, "he doesn't want to do anything, pat." >> reporter: trump was even unmoved by his supporters chanting "hang mike pence." >> i remember pat saying something to the effect of, mark, we need to do something more, they're literally calling for the vice president to be effing hung. mark had responded something to the effect of, you heard him, pat, he thinks mike deserves it, he doesn't think they're doing anything wrong. to which pat said something, this is effing crazy.

>> reporter: the committee pointed out, it's almost exactly what trump told me six weeks after he left the white house. >> hang mike pence? >> because it's common sense, jon, it's common sens that you're supposed to protect -- how can you -- if you know a vote is fraudulent, right, how can you pass on a fraudulent vote? to congress? >> reporter: at the end of the hearing today, cassidy hutchinson was asked about her own boss, mark meadows, and about rudy giuliani, who had told her january 6th would be a great day. she said both wanted presidential pardons. >> miss hutchinson, did white house chief of staff mark meadows ever indicatehat he was interested in receiving a presidential pardon related to january 6th? >> mr. meadows did seek that pardon, yes, ma'am. >> our thanks to jonathan. former president trump today issued a flurry of statements refuting hutchinson's testimony. the secret service says that it wishes to respond to hutchinson's testimony under oath. a source close to the agency tells abc news to expect that the secret service won't

pushback any allegation of assault against an agent or that former president trump reached for the steering wheel. when we come back, a tribute to thes of souls lost in texas. ite treatment it disrupts my skin with itch. it disrupts my skin with rash. but now, i can disrupt eczema with rinvoq. rinvoq is not a steroid, topical, or injection. it's one pill, once a day, that's effective without topical steroids. many taking rinvoq saw clear or almost-clear skin while some saw up to 100% clear skin. plus, they felt fast itch relief some as early as 1 week. that's rinvoq relief. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal, cancers including lymphoma and skin cancer, death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older

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and see marvel studios' thor: love and thunder. finally tonight, we now know that at least 51 people died in that sweltering tractor-trailer in texas. some of the migrants who survived are fighting for their lives. officials calling it the deadliest case of human smuggling in american history. the men and women from mexico, guatemala, and honduras. tonight, residents of san antonio and houston gathered to honor those lives lost and called for actions to fix the nation's broken immigration system. >> it's really hard. and i'm so tired. i'm so fed up. i'm so tired that we can stay -- that we have been here before, that we have done this before, that we know how to respond to

this wide receiver it shouldn't have to be that way. >> our thoughts are with the victims and their families. that's "nightline" for this evening. catch our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for the company, america. good night.