Ex-campaign manager felt 'guilty' for helping Trump win, post-Jan. 6 texts show

Brad Parscale, former campaign manager to former President Donald Trump, said post-Jan. 6 that he he felt "guilty" for helping Trump win, according to text messages obtained and shared by the Jan. 6 commmittee.
During a Tuesday hearing, the panel shared texts Parscale had sent to former Trump campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson on Jan. 6, in which he reportedly claimed to have "lost faith" in Trump. He said that Trump's speech that day pushed for "uncertainty in our country" and amounted to "a sitting president asking for civil war."
"This week I feel guilty for helping him win," the ex-aide wrote, to which Pierson responded, "You did what you felt right at the time and therefore it was right."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Yeah. But a woman is dead," Parscale countered.
When Pierson then said Trump's rhetoric wasn't to blame for the violence, Parscale offered a succint retort: "Katrina," he said. "Yes it was."
In addition to the revelations regarding Parscale, the committee also on Tuesday presented evidence suggesting Trump had planned to lead supporters to the Capitol on Jan. 6, The New York Times reports. Per documents from the National Archives, Trump had reviewed a tweet to be sent from his account that mentioned marching to the Capitol after his infamous speech at the Ellipse. Though the tweet itself was never issued, Trump "let his allies know in advance that his plan was to direct the crowd to the Capitol," the Times writes.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
'Alligator Alcatraz will be a blight on the Everglades'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Kirsty Coventry: the former Olympian and first woman to lead the IOC
In the Spotlight Coventry, a former competitive swimmer, won two Olympic gold medals
-
Critics' choice: Carrying the flag
Feature The best barbecue in town, Bradley Cooper's cheesesteak restaurant, and more
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary
-
The ambiguous legal state of ectopic pregnancy care
The Explainer Rep. Kat Cammack's accusations of 'fearmongering' are the latest example of how mixed messages are complicating the debate around abortion
-
Supreme Court clears third-country deportations
Speed Read The court allowed Trump to temporarily resume deporting migrants to countries they aren't from
-
ICE: Targeting essential workers
Feature After a brief pause, the Trump administration resumes its mass deportation plan
-
'No Kings': A turning point for the resistance?
Feature Millions of Americans nationwide took to the streets to protest against the Trump administration
-
Trump: Making the military into a 'partisan militia'?
Feature Donald Trump held a military parade just days after sending troops to stop protests in Los Angeles
-
Judges order release of 2 high-profile migrants
Speed Read Kilmar Ábrego García is back in the US and Mahmoud Khalil is allowed to go home — for now