A huge tranche of texts from former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, received by CNN, shows how former President Trump’s allies went from asking for a halt to violence on Jan. 6 to reaffirming their support for Trump afterwards.
Why it matters: More than 2,300 texts offer a rare look at communications between the White House and a network of Trump aides, Fox hosts and lawmakers in the post-election period.
- Meadows submitted the texts to the elected committee on January 6, before ending his co-operation, which led the House to submit it to the Justice Department for contempt of Congress.
A commission spokesman on 6 January rejected Axios’ request for comment.
Driving the news: Representative Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) Has been in frequent contact with Meadows during this time, the texts show.
- On December 31, 2020, she sent him a message: “We need to get organized for the 6th.”
- On January 6, 2021, she sent a message: “Mark, I’ve just been told that there is an active shooter on the first floor of the Capitol, please tell the president to calm people down. That’s not the way to solve anything. “
- Later that day, however, she withdrew and began to support an unfounded conspiracy theory about the rebels: “Note that we do not think these attackers are our people. We think they are Antifa. Dressed as Trump supporters.
The next day, Green integrated the Antifa story into his thinking and apologized to Meadows for failing to cancel the election.
- “I am sorry that nothing worked. I don’t think President Trump caused the attack on the Capitol. It’s not his fault … He was the greatest president. I will continue to defend him, “she wrote.
- She said she condemned the violence, but “when people try everything and no one listens and nothing works, I guess they think they have no choice.”
- On January 17, Green sent a message to Meadows that “several” lawmakers had chatted only to members that the only way to save our republic was for Trump to call for a Marshall Act. [sic]”urging Trump to ‘declassify as much as possible so we can follow Biden and everyone else!’
Other members of the House and Trump aides also sent an SMS to Meadows on Jan. 6 to call for an end to the violence.
- Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvani: “Mark: He needs to stop this now. Can I do something to help?”
- Former White House Chief of Staff Rice Pribus: “TELL THEM TO GET HOME !!!”
- Representative William Timmons (RS.C.): “The President must stop this as soon as possible”
- Donald Trump Jr.: “This is the one you go to on the mattresses. They will try to fuck all his legacy on it if it gets worse.”
But some members have taken Green’s path to quickly adapt their support for Trump to the new norm.
- Representative Louis Homer (R-Texas) sent a statement on January 6: “The cover police told me last night that they were warned that there would be many Antifa today wearing Trump’s red shirts and hats and that violence was likely. “
- “I would like to convey to POTUS that we are still with him, I believe in him and I want to encourage him,” wrote member Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) On 9 January.
Editor’s note: This post has been corrected to reflect that representative Andrew Clyde sent an SMS to Meadows on January 9th, not January 6th.
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