Donald Trump Jr. and Fox News hosts sent frantic texts to Mark Meadows during the January 6 riot urging the president to ‘condemn this sh*t’ as it ‘got out of hand’, a House Committee has revealed.
House Select Committee unanimously approved Monday night’s recommendation of contempt charges against Meadows (ex-White House chief staff officer)
Rep. Liz Cheney was the vice-chair of the select committee. She read text messages sent by journalists and political heavyweights that ‘leave little doubt that the White House knew precisely what was going on here at Capitol’
‘[President Trump] has got to condemn this sh*t ASAP. Meadows was sent a text by Don Jr. stating that the tweet from Capitol police is insufficient.
Meadows responded to the son of President Obama: “I’m pushing hard. I agree.”
“We need an Oval Office address,” a text from Donald Trump Jr. read again and again. It is time for him to take the initiative. “It has gone too far, and it is out of control,” Cheney stated to the committee.
Ingraham sent the following message: “Mark, the President needs to tell everyone in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting us all. This is ruining his legacy.
“Please make him appear on television.” Meadows was told by Kilmeade that he would destroy everything you’ve accomplished.
Hannity asked: Can he make any statement? For people to move out of the capitol.
Mark Meadows was the former Trump chief of staff and he appeared on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program Monday to express surprise at Jan. 6’s committee decision.
Meadows was urged to take control of the Capitol chaos by Don Jr. and Fox host Laura Ingraham
Donald Trump, pictured in the East Room at the White House in July 2020. He held a rally at Capitol that turned into a bloody riot on January 6.
In advance of Monday’s contempt vote, Rep. Adam Schiff gave Mark Meadows a list of texts from lawmakers
Republican Rep. Liz Cheney reviewed text messages that were sent by Meadows, including those from administration officials and several Fox News host, as well as some of Donald Trump Jr., encouraging him to contact the mob.
Later, Meadows appeared on Fox News and claimed that the Capitol Riot investigation is an excuse for Trump to attack ‘once more.’
Meadows said that it was disappointing but not unexpected, as she told Fox News’ Sean Hannity last evening.
“Let’s not forget that this isn’t about me. It’s about holding me in contempt. This is not about making Capitol safer. It’s not about making the Capitol safer. We can see that through selective leaks like those currently in progress. Meadows stated that this is all about Donald Trump, and not about going after him again.
The ex-White House Chief of Staff, who was with former President Donald Trump during the January 6 Insurrection, was the subject of Monday’s committee vote.
Bennie Thompson insists that Meadows, who originally planned to collaborate but changed his mind later on, ‘hasn’t left us with any option.’
Hannity said Monday that his audience was being cheated by the committee.
Meadows challenged one of the central pieces of evidence of the committee: Meadows’ January 5, 2017 email in which Meadows stated that the National Guard would present itself the following day to protect Trump’s people.
A former North Carolina congressman suggested that the committee tried to “spin some evil purpose” on email. This was to create a safe environment.
He claimed that his inability to cooperate with an investigation into Capitol riot which caused the deaths five people was understandable and it is not his place to make a statement.
Meadows stated to Hannity, “I can tell you that when we look at criminal components of the intent there has never been an intention on my part,”
“I have attempted to share non-privileged data but really, Donald Trump’s Executive privilege is not mine to waive. It’s not Congress to wade. We filed this lawsuit in order to try to get the courts involved – hopefully they will.
Chairman Thompson opened Monday’s remarks by stating, “Meadows was forced to this position, and he has to accept it.
Anyone who wishes to assist our investigation in any way can do so. Thompson said that nearly everyone had.
“Our democracy was just inches away from collapse, and our government system was stretched to its limits. Both staff and members of the public were attacked. Hours of fighting ensued between police officers. He recalled that many people lost their lives.
The U.S. House Select Committee met Monday night, Jan. 6, and voted 9:0 to declare Mark Meadows contemptuous of Congress
He continued, “We want to find out why” and shared that information with American citizens. “And you can either be on our side and help us find the answer or you want to keep us from finding it.”
Thompson said that “in real life, there aren’t many bright-line moment.”
He noted that “This is one of them.” And if Mr. Meadows and Mr. Bannon are watching at home, Mr. Clark, this is what I’d like you to hear: it will all be history. This committee’s work. History will never regard you all as martyrs. You will never be viewed as a victim by history. The history will not be distracted by your legal tricks or long lists of privilege claims.
Thompson explained that “History will document that at a crucial moment in our democracy most people were on side of finding out the truth or giving accountability or strengthening the system for future generations.”
“And history will also document in this crucial moment that some people weren’t. Thompson explained that while some people made excuses and answered questions, others went to great effort explaining their past actions and knowledge. I predict history will not be kind to these people.
Before deciding to end cooperation, Rep. Adam Schiff read out several text messages that Mark Meadows sent the committee.
Rep. Adam Schiff is the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and a Select Committee Member. Meadows was also told by an anonymous lawmaker that Vice President Mike Pence should toss out Electoral Votes during his joint session to certify President Joe Biden’s election.
The text said that Vice President Mike Pence should, on January 6, 2021 as President of Senate call out any electoral votes he feels are not constitutional as there is no such thing as an electoral vote.
Schiff also called one text “chilling” when Meadows received an apology from another lawmaker that Meadows could not overturn the election at the certification session. This was without mention of the Capitol attack.
“Yesterday was an awful day. We did everything possible to oppose the six states. Schiff reports that the lawmaker apologized for not being able to resolve his objections.
Many lawmakers on the committee criticised Meadows for failing to cooperate, but he put ‘part that story in book to line his pockets’, as Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said.
Meadows released a book, The Chief’s Chief, earlier this month.
The committee members pointed out, too that Meadows used to be a member in Congress prior to becoming Trump’s chief-of-staff in 2020.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, appearing at the hearing remotely, chided Mark Meadows for not cooperating, yet putting ‘part of that story in a book to line his pockets.’ Meadows published a book earlier in the month about his time at White House.
Earlier Monday, Meadows’ attorney urged Jan. 6, committee decided to not pursue criminal charges against him White HouseAs he stated that it would violate the law, chief of staff.
Attorney George Terwilliger stated that such a referral would violate the law and be unjustified, unfair, unwise, or contrary to common sense. It is not in the national interest to rush to judgement on this matter.
Terwilliger stated that an ex-administration official can invoke testimonial immunity and executive privilege in good faith.
On Sunday, the committee recommended contempt charges. It also released a report showing Meadows stated that the National Guard was available to protect pro-Trump people in an email sent on January 5.
Meadows said Monday to Fox News’ Sean Hannity that there’s a good chance that they’ll refer Meadows for criminal contempt.
On Thursday, Democratic leaders stated that the House would vote this week on contempt measures.
Meadows, an ex-Trump advisor and Jeffrey Clark who was a former DOJ official, is now the third victim to a House contempt vote.
Trump’s former White House chief Strategist was charged on two counts with contempt of Congress. He refused to give any documents and appeared before the federal grand jury.
The contempt charge was recommended by the committee on Sunday. On the same day, it published a report showing Meadows claimed that the National Guard was ready to “protect pro Trump citizens” in an email on January 5,
Meadows changed his mind last week. According to his lawyer, Meadows decided that he wouldn’t comply with the committee because he couldn’t agree on his testimony terms.
He had handed more than 6,000 pages of documentation.
Terwilliger stated Monday that a referral to the Department of Justice on the basis of such invocation would disregard the statute’s historical and legislative application and contravene established separation of powers principles and incorrectly impute criminal intent to good-faith actors.
Meadows did not appear at his deposition on Wednesday and the committee decided to refer the criminal contempt cases to the Department of Justice.
A lawsuit was filed by the ex-chief of staff against House members Jan. 6, committee, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Meadows claims that the investigation team tried to violate executive privilege, which should have protected his communication with Trump.
It requests a judge invalidate two “overly broad” subpoenas. Then, it accuses Verizon’s committee of excessive overreach in issuing a Verizon demand for its cell phone records.
Meadows stated that she had worked with the President and senior staff to determine if they were still planning to probe into executive privilege. Meadows said that the decision was made to stop cooperating.
He claimed that sharing their conversations would create a dangerous precedent.
Reps. Bennie Thompson D-Miss., and Liz Cheney, R-Wisc., said in a statement last week that they had questions about official communications Meadows had carried from his personal accounts, and that he needed to appear over his non-privileged communications.
“We need to know more about the voluminous records he has stored on his phone and in email, as these were required to be handed over to National Archives under the Presidential Records Act.”
Thompson and Cheney stated in their statement that despite litigating privilege issues, Mr. Meadows has many questions about the records he turned over to them with no claim for privilege. These documents include real-time communications between individuals during the January 6th events.
A 51-page report was released by the committee Sunday. It described several messages Meadows had sent to people.
All Seasons Press published ‘The Chief’s Chief,’ by Mark Meadows (ex-White House Chief of Staff), on December 7.
‘Mr. Meadows sent an email [on January 5]A person asked me about the January 6 events and I said the National Guard would be there to protect the Trump supporters and that more would be on standby.
A text Meadows wrote to Congressman in November 2020 “regarding attempts to contact state legislators because,” Mr. Meadows stated in his texts, “POTUS wants chat with them.”
The Sunday document was released by the committee and outlines the questions that it would ask Meadows if he had cooperated.
‘We would’ve asked Mr. Meadows about text messages exchanged with various individuals, including Members of Congress, on January 6th, both before, during, and after the attack on the United States Capitol, including text messages encouraging Mr. Meadows to facilitate a statement by President Trump discouraging violence at the Capitol on January 6th, including a text exchange with a media personality who had encouraged the presidential statement asking people to, quote, ‘peacefully leave the Capitol,’ end quote, as well as a text sent to one of—by one of the President’s family members indicating that Mr. Meadows is, quote, ‘pushing hard,’ end quote, for a statement from President Trump to, quote, ‘condemn this s***,’ end quote, happening at the Capitol.’
Meadows has continued to defend Trump, including in his new book, The Chief’s Chief, released last week.
Trump, a former congressman, wrote that he would have taken the law in his hands to stop Black Lives Matter protesters from entering the White House. He also said that he would’ve ‘knocked them in’ if the Secret Service had not led him to a safe bunker.
“But he couldn’t choose. The United States Secret Service is the only one that does what they say. They either tell you to do the right thing or you get picked up by them and made it happen.