Congressman Liz Cheney reads texts sent to Mark Meadows on January 6 during the contempt vote debate
The January 6 committee revealed in Monday’s meeting texts between President Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows and lawmakers, a Fox News personality, and Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., about Trump’s urgency to stop the siege.
Those texts, as several members of the committee noted, were turned over to the committee and were not covered by any claim of privilege – something Meadows has continued to assert since dismissing the decision. intend to cooperate with the investigation.
The committee’s vice chair, Republican Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, said the messages were evidence of Trump’s “disabling mandate for supremacy.”
The January 6 committee released to the public the graphic including texts sent to Meadows in the days surrounding the uprising.
The committee pointed to written exchanges between Meadows and lawmakers, Fox News personalities and Trump’s eldest son about the urgency for the former president to act to avert the siege.
Here’s what the text says:
Messages from unnamed lawmakers to Meadows said that former Vice President Mike Pence “should remove all the electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional because there are no electoral votes at all.”
Cheney said other texts were sent in real time about events as they unfolded.
“These text messages leave no doubt. The White House knows exactly what is happening here on the Capitol,” Cheney said.
“One message Mr. Meadows received said the quote ‘We’re under siege here at the Capitol,'” she read.
“In a third, ‘Mark, the protesters are literally storming the Capitol, breaking the windows on the doors, barging in. Is Trump going to say something?” Fourth, ‘There was an armed man standing in front of the chamber door of the House of Commons.’ And another from someone inside the Capitol: “We’re all helpless.”
Cheney also read texts from news personalities from Fox News and Trump’s stepchildren.
“As the violence continued, one of the President’s sons texted Mr. Meadows, ‘He must condemn this ASAP. The Metropolitan Police tweet is not enough,” tweeted Donald Trump Jr.. Meadows replied, “I’m pressing for it. I agree.'”
Cheney continued: “Donald Trump Jr has texted several times, urging action by the President. Quote, ‘We need an Oval Office address. He has to take the lead now. It went too far. And out of hand,” said the last quote. But now Cheney says.
When the events of the last Electoral College certification occurred in the early hours of January 7, Meadows received a text message calling January 6 a “terrible day”.
“Yesterday was a terrible day. We tried everything to protest 6 states,” the text read. “I’m sorry nothing works.”
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