Synopsis from USA TODAY: Days before
January 6, Meadows texts show discussion of overturning election – three key
elements are below:
· Weeks after losing the election, and having
failed to overturn it in the courts and in a number of states, Trump directed
his attention to January 6.
· On January 6, Congress would meet to count
the EC votes to certify Joe Biden's victory.
· In the days leading up to the counting of the EC
votes on January 6, Meadows exchanged messages about ways to overturn the
election.
· In one such message, a member of Congress: “Acknowledged
Republican-controlled state legislatures sending alternate slates of electors
would be highly controversial.”
· Meadows responded: “I love it.”
That according to a 51-page report outlining what Meadows
had provided the committee.
One of Trump’s closest allies in Congress, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
forwarded Meadows a text message on
January 5 laying out a case for VP Mike Pence to reject
the EC votes in some states.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) read a truncated portion (shortened
version) of Jordan’s message to Meadows during a committee hearing this week,
attributing it to an unnamed member of Congress. But a Jordan spokesman later
confirmed to various news outlets that the text did came from Jordan.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) then read a message about efforts to overturn the election from Meadows saying: “He thinks the legislatures have the power but the VP has power too (January 3 message extract).”
Aguilar then said he
believed Meadows was referring to Trump and that the message, where he writes
about the president’s thinking, illustrated: “Why his privilege claims are so
outrageous. We’d like to ask Meadows about that, about what the former
president thought. Days before the violent attack Meadows was willing to share
what he and the president Trump, thinks, but won’t tell us.”
Element 1: It will make a lot of patriots happy.
As January 6 drew near, word of a shift at the top of the DOJ drew applause in Meadows' text app.
Trump had planned to appoint Jeffrey Clark as acting AG during
his final days in office when then-acting AG Jeffrey
Rosen did not pursue his unfounded claims about voter fraud. But, Trump eventually
dropped the plan.
The committee’s report said Meadows introduced Trump to
Clark, who the report said asked to be installed as acting AG and he suggested
the DOJ send letters to state officials to appoint alternate slates of electors
to overturn the election.
While debating on the House floor whether to hold Meadows in
contempt, Schiff pointed to a January 3 message from an unknown caller praising
the White House for employing Clark reading from the message: “I heard Jeff
Clark is getting put in on Monday. That’s amazing, it will make a lot of
patriots happy and I’m personally so proud that you are at the tip of the spear
and that I can call you a friend.”
The committee has since also has referred Clark for criminal
contempt of Congress over his refusal to cooperate.
Schiff went on to dismiss Meadows’ claim of privilege in
that same speech, saying he has spoken about the same issues the committee
seeks to question him about in text messages, emails, and his new book, adding:
“The inconsistency, the hypocrisy, grabs you by the neck, and so does his
contempt of Congress.”
Element 2: Protecting pro-Trump people.
After days of promoting a big rally near the White House, January 6 had arrived and thousands gathered near the White House to hear Trump speak. Trump finished his speech on the Ellipse at around 1:10 p.m., telling those in attendance:
“If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a
country anymore” – that was before he sent them off to the Capitol down Pennsylvania
Avenue.
· At the Capitol, rioters overwhelmed security
police, busted out windows, and went inside and ransacked member offices.
· Some even were shouting: “Hang Mike Pence.”
· The committee’s report said Meadows provided
guidance to an organizer of the rally in a text message exchange after the organizer
told him: “Things have gotten crazy and I desperately need some direction.
Please.”
· In one email, Meadows said the National Guard
would be present to “protect pro Trump people, with more on standby,” that also
according to the committee report.
Element 3: Fox News anchors pleaded for Trump to stop riot.
As the chaos unfolded, Meadows also received texts from some of Trump's most vocal Fox supporters
that said he needed to step in and stop the mob.
Vice Committee Chair, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), read messages
she said came to Meadows from Fox News anchors imploring the
White House to act and from Trump administration
officials. In one, an unnamed person told Meadows: “POTUS has to come out
firmly and tell the protesters to dissipate. Someone is going to get killed.”
Fox News hosts Laura
Ingraham, Brian Kilmeade, and Sean Hannity all reached out to Meadows while the
chaos occurred.
Ingraham wrote: “Mark, the president needs to
tell people in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us. He is
destroying his legacy.”
“Punchbowl News” founder Jake
Sherman said in a tweet that he sent some of the
text messages Cheney read at a committee hearing this week, including one where
he said the Capitol was under siege, writing in one: “We're all helpless.”
Cheney also said Trump’s son (Donald Jr.) sent Meadows a message telling him his father should condemn the riot and “To stop this sh*t.”
Trump
Jr. later wrote to Meadows: “We need an Oval Office address. He has to lead
now. It has gone too far and gotten out of hand.”
Meadows responded to Trump Jr: “Agreed am pushing it hard.”
Four people died at the riot, and a Capitol Police officer died the
next day after suffering a stroke.
At 2:44 p.m., shots were fired in the House chamber, and
later authorities identified Ashli Babbitt as having been shot and killed by a
Capitol Police officer (That officer, a Lt., was later cleared of any charges since he had acted correctly to protect lives inside the House chamber).
Trump eventually told protesters to go home. At about 4:17
p.m., he posted a video to his Twitter account urging them to stop while
repeating baseless claims about a stolen election.
Cheney finally said during the committee meeting: “These text
messages leave no doubt the White House knew exactly what was happening at the
Capitol.”
More Facts: Timeline of How the storming of the
U.S. Capitol unfolded on January 6.
My 2 Cents: Congrats on to the House Select Committee for their stellar work thus far as more and more evidence pours in.
Right now from the latest, it is finally revealed that Trump and Meadows were both in fact
running the show with plenty of other insider’s help from members of Congress.
I suspect a lot more names will be forthcoming.
The only question is when
and how soon will the key insiders be prosecuted, tried, convicted, and jailed?
Thanks for stopping by.
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