Donald Trump: Texts to Mark Meadows urging president to quell unrest in Capitol revealed

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Dozens of text messages sent to the White House show Donald Trump’s own son, among others, begging him to take immediate action.

The U.S. congressional committee investigating the unrest in the Capitol has revealed a series of desperate text messages sent to the White House during the violence, uselessly urging then-president Donald Trump to intervene. .

We know very little about Mr Trump’s actions in the January 6 riot, in which a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent Congress from proving Joe Biden’s election victory.

The rioters began fighting with law enforcement outside the Capitol around 1:10 p.m., and broke into the police line an hour later, entering the building by force. Mr Trump did not give a statement urging them to leave until 4:17 pm.

“I know your pain. I know you were hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you need to go home now. We have to have peace,” he said in that video message.

“So go home. We love you. You are very special. ”

In the three hours between the start of the violence and that message, he posted two tweets urging his supporters to “stay peaceful”, but did not tell them to leave.

Beyond that, we do not know of any steps taken by the president to calm the situation.

Today the committee tasked with investigating the riot read text messages sent to Mr Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, at the time in question.

Conservative media figures, members of Congress, Trump administration officials and one of Mr Trump’s own children were among those begging the president to do something.

“He needs to condemn this s *** as soon as possible. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough, “wrote Mr Trump’s eldest son Donald Jr.

He was referring to a tweet posted at 2:38 pm, which said: “Please, support our Capitol Police and law enforcement. They are truly on the side of our country. Stay peaceful!”

Mr Meadows replied to Donald Jr.: “I insist on it very much. I agree.”

According to the committee, Donald Jr. subsequently texted “repeatedly” to “insist on the president’s action”.

“We need an Oval (Office) address. He needs to take the lead now. It has gone too far and lost control, ”he said.

Congresswoman Liz Cheney, one of two Republican members of the nine -person committee, also read a series of texts from unnamed members of Congress.

“We are under siege here in the Capitol,” wrote one such man.

“They violated the Capitol,” said another.

“Mark, the protesters are literally storming the Capitol. Breaking windows on doors. Hastening to enter. Will Trump say anything? “Asked the third.

“There was an armed standoff at the door of the House Chamber,” said another.

“We are all helpless,” the fifth man wrote.

“POTUS must come out firmly and tell (the) protesters to disappear. Someone will be killed, ”warned the sixth.

“Mark, he needs to stop this. Now, ”said another.

“POTUS needs to calm down this nonsense,” another man said.

And one, in all caps, simply said: “TELL THEM TO GO HOME NOW.”

Ms Cheney argued that the texts left “no doubt” that “the White House knows exactly what is going on in the Capitol”.

Media figures also wrote to Mr Meadows with urgent advice.

“Mark, the president needs to tell the people at the Capitol to go home,” Fox News opinion host Laura Ingraham said.

“It hurts us all. He’s ruining his legacy. “

His colleague Sean Hannity asked Mr Meadows if Mr Trump could “make a statement” and “ask people to leave the Capitol”.

“Please take him on TV. It destroys everything you have done, ”said morning show host Brian Kilmeade.

All of these texts were disclosed as part of a hearing to determine whether Mr Meadows should be held in criminal contempt in Congress for refusing to cooperate with a subpoena issued by the committee.

Mr Meadows initially agreed to cooperate, and provided some documentary evidence to the committee, before changing his mind. He cited executive privilege in an attempt to justify his refusal to answer questions.

The committee denied his claim to privilege. Now its members have unanimously recommended that he face contempt charges.

“Mr Meadows failed to comply with and warrant the findings in contempt because he flatly refused to appear to give any testimony and refused to answer questions about clearly not privileged information – information that he himself had specified. as not privileged by his own making of the document, “the committee said.

The House of Representatives will now vote on whether to support criminal cases. The federal Department of Justice will ultimately decide whether to pursue such cases, which could result in time incarceration.

Another uncooperative witness, Mr Trump’s former political adviser Steve Bannon, has already been indicted.

“Mr Meadows started by doing the right thing: collaboration. He provided records that he didn’t try to protect behind some reason,” Democrat Bennie Thompson, January 6 committee chairman, said today.

“But in an investigation like ours, that is just the first step. When the records raise questions – as they certainly do – you have to go in and answer those questions.

“When it was time for him to follow the law, come in and testify to those questions, (Mr Meadows) changed his mind and told us to beat the sand. He didn’t even show up. ”

In a letter to the committee, Mr Meadows’ lawyer George Terwilliger argued that his client had made a “good faith appeal of executive privilege”.

“A referral by a senior presidential aide is also not wise as it would do great damage to the institution of the presidency,” Mr Terwilliger said.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the matter tomorrow.

Read related topics: Donald Trump

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