Mary Trump says her uncle can feel the walls 'closing in' after Cipollone testifies for Jan. 6 committee: 'Donald is terrified'

• Mary Trump said her uncle is "terrified" as the Jan. 6 committee interviews high-profile witnesses such as Pat Cipollone.
• She said that Donald Trump "can't deny the walls may indeed be closing in."

Mary Trump, author, and niece of former President Donald Trump, said that her uncle is afraid after former White House counsel Pat Cipollone testified before the January 6 House select committee.

"To say that Donald is terrified is accurate and also an understatement," Trump said while appearing on MSNBC's The Katie Phang Show on Saturday.

"I think this might be the first time in his entire life that even he can't deny the walls may indeed be closing in. The amount of evidence that we see coming out of these committee hearings is overwhelming," she said.

She noted that the witnesses that are now coming forward to speak with the committee are increasingly important in terms of access and positions in his administration.

Although the details of Cipollone's testimony are yet to be revealed, Rep. Zoe Lofgren said he "did not contradict" the testimony of previous witnesses.

Phang noted that Trump released a statement criticizing Cipollone testifying in front of the panel, arguing that it could discourage future presidents from having "candid" conversations with a White House counsel.

However, she noted that he did not attack Cipollone personally, as he has been known to do with other witnesses, such as Cassidy Hutchinson.

Speaking on MSNBC, former acting United States Solicitor General Neal Katyal theorized that Trump's restraint is a sign that he wants to keep Cipollone on his side.

"Donald Trump lashes out when he's scared, but when he's terrified, and with Cipollone he is, he's trying to actually butter him up," Katyal said.

Legal experts previously told Insider's Camila DeChalus that Cipollone's first-hand account of whether Trump was aware that he was potentially engaging in criminal activity could strengthen a case against him by the Justice Department.

On Friday's show, Phang asked Trump about her uncle's mounting legal troubles, including Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' probe into alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, and New York Attorney General Letitia James' probe into his business.

"It would be almost unimaginable at this point if he got out of all of the legal and civil charges against him," Mary Trump said.

"But again, you know, you said it – for decades now he has always skated, and that's the only reason I'm not confident. Hopeful, but not entirely confident there will be consequences."

She added that believes the cases in Georgia and New York were the "strongest cases against him."