A cache of 2,319 text messages sent and received by former President Donald Trump's White House chief of staff Mark Meadows between Election Day 2020 and President Biden's inauguration shows a group of Republican lawmakers and operatives working to overturn the election and scrambling to respond to the chaotic events of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The messages, obtained by CNN and released on Monday, include texts from Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner and son Donald Trump Jr. They also include "White House and campaign officials, Cabinet members, Republican Party leaders, January 6 rally organizers, Rudy Giuliani, My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, Sean Hannity and other Fox hosts," writes CNN. There are also texts with "more than 40 current and former Republican members of Congress," including Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Reps. Jim Jordan (Ohio), Mo Brooks (Ala.), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.).
On Jan. 6, as rioters breached the Capitol, Donald Trump Jr. texted Meadows, warning that "[t]hey will try to f--k [my father's] entire legacy on this if it gets worse." Others who urged Meadows to have Trump call off the rioters included former White House chiefs of staff Mick Mulvaney and Reince Priebus and Reps. William Timmons (R-S.C.) and Greene, who wrote to Meadows that he should "tell the President to calm people" and that "This isn't the way to solve anything."
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.
-
Taiwan eyes Iron Dome-like defence against ChinaUnder the Radar President announces historic increase in defence spending as Chinese aggression towards autonomous island escalates
-
Political cartoons for November 30Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the Saudi-China relationship, MAGA spelled wrong, and more
-
Rothermere’s Telegraph takeover: ‘a right-leaning media powerhouse’Talking Point Deal gives Daily Mail and General Trust more than 50% of circulation in the UK newspaper market
-
The US-Saudi relationship: too big to fail?Talking Point With the Saudis investing $1 trillion into the US, and Trump granting them ‘major non-Nato ally’ status, for now the two countries need each other
-
Could Trump run for a third term?The Explainer Constitutional amendment limits US presidents to two terms, but Trump diehards claim there is a loophole
-
Trump’s Ukraine peace talks advance amid leaked callSpeed Read Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Russia next week
-
Memo signals Trump review of 233k refugeesSpeed Read The memo also ordered all green card applications for the refugees to be halted
-
Judge tosses Trump DOJ cases against Comey, JamesSpeed Read Both cases could potentially be brought again
-
X’s location update exposes international troll industryIn the Spotlight Social media platform’s new transparency feature reveals ‘scope and geographical breadth’ of accounts spreading misinformation
-
Tariffs: Will Trump’s reversal lower prices?Feature Retailers may not pass on the savings from tariff reductions to consumers
-
Trump: Is he losing control of MAGA?Feature We may be seeing the ‘first meaningful right-wing rebellion against autocracy of this era’
