Mark Meadows was reportedly way more central to the Jan. 6 siege than previously known


In I Alone Can Fix It, Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker's book on the final days of former President Donald Trump's time in office, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is portrayed as aghast at suggestions Trump just declare himself the winner of the election he lost.
But in fact Meadows was "a willing hub for conspiracy theories and false claims about the election" and "inextricably bound to the Jan. 6 attack, serving less as chief of staff than chief enabler to a president who was desperate to hold onto power," The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing interviews with former Trump allies and a 51-page report from the House Jan. 6 committee. The "central role" Meadows played in "Trump's efforts to overturn a democratic election is coming into focus as the congressional investigation into Jan. 6 gains traction," The New York Times agrees in a parallel report.
Meadows "didn't just hold Trump's coat while he led an insurrection or play feckless consigliere on a call with the Georgia secretary of state — he was deeply involved in efforts to overturn democracy," Chris Whipple, the author a book on White House chiefs of staff, tells the Post. "The chief of staff is, above all else, supposed to tell the president hard truths, and Meadows has just raised sycophancy to an art form."
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.
Meadows was also the "key leader" of a group of six House GOP allies — Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), and the "de facto sergeant," Scott Perry (R-Pa.) — who served as "key foot soldiers in Mr. Trump's effort to overturn the election," the Times reports. Meadows' role as "Trump's right-hand man helped to remarkably empower the group in the president's final, chaotic weeks in office."
In one Nov. 9, 2020, meeting at Trump campaign headquarters, the Times reports, Jordan, Perry, Meadows, Trump adviser Stephen Miller, campaign manager Bill Stepien, and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany huddled and "settled on a strategy that would become a blueprint for Mr. Trump's supporters in Congress: Hammer home the idea that the election was tainted, announce legal actions being taken by the campaign, and bolster the case with allegations of fraud."
You can read more about how Meadows fed Trump election conspiracy nuggets and mediated various attempts to overturn Trump's loss at The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
May 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include how much to pay for a pardon, medical advice from a brain worm, and a simple solution to the national debt.
-
5 costly cartoons about the national debt
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on the USA's financial hole, rare bipartisan agreement, and Donald Trump and Mike Johnson.
-
Green goddess salad recipe
The Week Recommends Avocado can be the creamy star of the show in this fresh, sharp salad
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
What's next for Elon Musk?
Today's Big Question The world's richest man has become 'disillusioned' with politics – but returning to his tech empire presents its own challenges
-
Trump's super-charged pardon push raises eyebrows and concerns
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Never shy about using his pardon ability for political leverage, Trump's spate of amnesty announcements suggests the White House is taking things to a new level
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs