'Yes, sir. On it': Sean Hannity offered to help Trump on Election Day, Mark Meadows text messages show

Fox News host Sean Hannity, like many other allies of former President Donald Trump, urged then–White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to get Trump to call off his supporters during the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, according to text messages Meadows turned over to the House Jan. 6 committee. A new batch of Meadows texts obtained by CNN gives a broader picture of the role Hannity and other Trump allies played before and after Jan. 6.
Hannity was among the most frequent correspondents in the 2,319 text messages Meadows turned over to the Jan. 6 committee, CNN reports. On Election Day, for example, Hannity texted Meadows in the afternoon, asking if North Carolina was "gonna be okay." Meadows wrote back, urging Hannity to tell his radio show listeners: "Stress every vote matters. Get out and vote."
"Yes sir. On it," Hannity responded. "Any place in particular we need a push?"
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.
That's not how journalists, even openly partisan opinion hosts, are supposed to interact with the White House, CNN's Dana Bash notes. "In past years, Fox News has attempted to set some boundaries for its on-air personalities," especially Hannity, The Washington Post reports. But these text messages "suggest that Hannity saw himself as part of the broader pro-Trump campaign apparatus on Election Day."
"Throughout the logs, Hannity both gives advice and asks for direction," which was a common theme throughout Trump's presidency, CNN reports. Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham recounted in January that "there were times the president would come down the next morning and say, 'Well, Sean thinks we should do this,' or, 'Judge Jeanine thinks we should do this.'"
"When you look at these messages, if this is what Meadows turned over willingly to the Jan. 6 committee, you have to wonder what's in the rest of the documents, because these are so damning," said CNN's Jamie Gangel. Meadows withheld more than 1,000 messages from the Jan. 6 committee, claiming executive privilege, the committee said in a court filing Friday.
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.
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office
-
President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
Speed Read The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands
-
'Bawdy' Trump letter supercharges Epstein scandal
Speed Read The Wall Street Journal published details of Trump's alleged birthday letter to Epstein