By Jamie Gangel, Jeremy Herb and Elizabeth Stuart | CNN
Inside minutes of the US Capitol breach on January 6, 2021, messages started pouring into the cellphone of White Home chief of employees Mark Meadows. Amongst these texting have been Republican members of Congress, former members of the Trump administration, GOP activists, Fox personalities — even the President’s son. Their texts all carried the identical pressing plea: President Donald Trump wanted to right away denounce the violence and inform the mob to go dwelling.
“He’s acquired to condem (sic) this shit. Asap,” Donald Trump Jr. texted at 2:53 p.m.
“POTUS must calm this shit down,” GOP Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina wrote at 3:04 p.m.
“TELL THEM TO GO HOME !!!” former White Home chief of employees Reince Priebus messaged at 3:09 p.m.
“POTUS ought to go on air and defuse this. Extraordinarily vital,” Tom Worth, former Trump well being and human companies secretary and a former GOP consultant from Georgia, texted at 3:13 p.m.
“Repair this now,” wrote GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas at 3:15 p.m.
One of many key questions the January 6 Home committee is predicted to lift in its June hearings is why Trump did not publicly condemn the assault for hours, and whether or not that failure is proof of “dereliction of obligation” and proof that Trump tried to hinder Congress’ certification of the election.
The Meadows texts present that even these closest to the previous President believed he had the ability to cease the violence in actual time.
CNN obtained the two,319 textual content messages that Meadows selectively handed over to the January 6 committee in December earlier than he stopped cooperating with the investigation. In accordance with a supply accustomed to the committee’s investigation, the texts present a useful “highway map” and present how Meadows was an enabler of Trump, regardless of being instructed there was no widespread election fraud.
Seventeen months later, CNN spoke to greater than a dozen individuals who had texted Meadows that day, together with former White Home officers, Republican members of Congress and political veterans. With out exception, every mentioned they stood by their texts and that they believed Trump had the ability and duty to attempt to cease the assault instantly.
“I assumed the President might cease it and was the one one that might cease it,” mentioned Alyssa Farah Griffin, who was Trump’s director of strategic communications till she left the White Home in December 2020. Farah Griffin is now a CNN political commentator.
“When he lastly tweeted one thing hours and hours later, there are studies of individuals contained in the constructing saying, ‘He’s saying to go dwelling.’ They'd have listened to him,” she added.
Farah Griffin texted Meadows at 3:13 p.m. that day: “Potus has to come back out firmly and inform protesters to dissipate. Somebody goes to get killed.”
Trump’s former appearing White Home chief of employees, Mick Mulvaney, additionally texted Meadows on January 6: “Mark: he must cease this, now. Can I do something to assist?”
Mulvaney instructed CNN he stands by his textual content. “I want somebody had responded to my outreach,” he mentioned.
Most people who spoke to CNN about their texts on January 6 can be quoted solely anonymously. Some mentioned it was due to their jobs. Some mentioned they have been afraid Trump can be reelected. One mentioned they only didn’t wish to undergo “the distress of being focused by Trump supporters.”
Their phrases have been blunt, emotional and damning, even those that stay staunch Trump allies.
“I assumed there was just one one that might cease it and that was the President,” mentioned a senior Republican. “I don’t know that I can consider one other state of affairs that was as grave for the nation, or as affecting for the nation, the place the President didn’t say one thing.”
A Meadows affiliate mentioned Trump had waited too lengthy to behave: “Two hours is simply inexcusable … when the protection of the federal authorities is in query you could have the obligation instantly to talk out. And Trump was derelict in that obligation.”
One other political veteran mentioned Trump’s silence made him complicit: “I feel he knew he might cease it, which is why he remained silent.”
And a former Trump administration official summed it up with this stark evaluation: “He failed at being the president.”
An lawyer for Meadows didn't reply to a request for remark. A spokesman for the January 6 committee additionally didn't reply to a request for remark.
‘I’m very fearful in regards to the subsequent 48 hours’
The Meadows textual content logs current a dramatic timeline of how buddies, colleagues and Republican allies have been pleading for assistance on January 6.
Rioters stormed police limitations across the Capitol simply after 1 p.m. that day. The Home and Senate fled their chambers round 2:20 p.m. But it took Trump till 4:17 p.m. to launch a video on Twitter telling the rioters to go dwelling.
The upcoming January 6 hearings are anticipated to concentrate on the hole of 187 minutes it took Trump to launch the video — in addition to spotlight a number of the most notable texts that Meadows acquired and despatched that day.
The logs will not be an entire file of Meadows’ texts — he withheld greater than 1,000 messages, claiming govt privilege, in response to the committee. However the messages Meadows did hand over present his responses have been typically terse and impassive, if he replied in any respect.
Two sources accustomed to the committee’s investigation mentioned it was exceptional that Meadows by no means appeared alarmed within the messages he despatched on January 6, and that even within the midst of the violence, he appeared unwilling to face as much as Trump. “Even Don Jr. knew the correct factor to do,” one supply instructed CNN.
On January 5, the Meadows textual content logs present that the chief of employees was nonetheless actively concerned with plans to object to the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s election victory, encouraging Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to go on proof of voter fraud.
“Final night time Sen Graham instructed me that if I discovered 100 names of useless voters in GA that he would object. I've 100 useless voters names!! Inform President Trump!” Greene, a Georgia Republican, texted Meadows at 2:30 p.m.
“Ship them to him,” Meadows responded, ensuring she had Graham’s cellphone quantity.
At 10:29 p.m., Fox’s Sean Hannity chimed in with an apprehensive message over what was to come back.
“I’m very fearful in regards to the subsequent 48 hours,” Hannity texted Meadows. “Pence stress. WH counsel will go away.”
Meadows didn't reply immediately, however he appeared to have known as Hannity, who texted that he couldn’t decide up the cellphone.
“On with boss,” Hannity texted, an obvious reference to Trump.
The final message Meadows acquired on January 5 is from his shut pal and Trump ally Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. Shortly earlier than midnight, Jordan forwarded a message making the case that Vice President Mike Pence “ought to name out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes in any respect.”
‘I've pushed for this’
The morning of January 6, Meadows woke as much as three issues: logistics for that day’s rally on the Ellipse, Pence’s refusal to affix Trump’s makes an attempt to subvert the election and the US Senate runoffs the day earlier than in Georgia, the place each Republicans have been trailing.
At 7:30 a.m., Meadows responded to Jordan’s message from the night time earlier than, acknowledging his help for Pence to reject the electoral votes. “I've pushed for this,” Meadows wrote again. “Undecided it's going to occur.”
Meadows then turned his consideration to the January 6 rally, the place Trump was slated to talk later that morning. Meadows had been concerned with the fraught inner drama over the speaker’s record within the days main as much as the occasion.
Meadows checked in to ensure one of many audio system, Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, knew he was supposed to seem.
“You're talking this am. Are you conscious,” Meadows requested at 8:08 a.m.
Brooks, who gave one of many extra incendiary speeches of the day, responded at 9:33 a.m., after leaving the stage: “Did it in 10m. Thanks! Crowd roaring.”
Jordan and Brooks are two of 5 Home Republicans who have been subpoenaed by the January 6 committee.
At 11 a.m., Trump marketing campaign spokesman Jason Miller shared a tweet with Meadows and different prime Trump aides capturing the darkening temper inside Senate Republican chief Mitch McConnell’s camp with Democrats poised to take management of the Senate.
“Feelings operating excessive amongst McConnell-aligned Republicans early Wednesday am — after actuality of what transpired in Georgia settled in,” Nationwide Journal reporter Josh Kraushaar wrote within the tweet. “Could be the warmth of the second, however temper is for declaring warfare on Crew Trump.”
‘Somebody goes to get killed’
At 1:05 p.m., whereas Trump was nonetheless addressing the group on the Ellipse, Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi gaveled within the joint session contained in the Capitol to start certifying Biden’s Electoral School win. Outdoors the Capitol, pro-Trump supporters have been already breaking by way of police limitations.
Roughly an hour later, rioters clashed with police and breached the Capitol doorways, forcing the Home and Senate to abruptly gavel out of session and evacuate the chambers.
In accordance with court docket filings, at 2:02 p.m. Meadows’ deputy Ben Williamson despatched his boss a textual content message in regards to the violence unfolding on the Capitol. The textual content shouldn't be included within the logs Meadows turned over, however Williamson offered it to the committee.
“Would suggest POTUS put out a tweet about respecting the police over on the Capitol — getting a little bit bushy over there,” Williamson wrote.
Williamson mentioned he had then spoken to Meadows in particular person and that Meadows had instantly gone towards the Oval Workplace to tell Trump, in response to court docket paperwork.
Shortly afterward, Meadows started receiving messages in regards to the mob on the door.
“Will potus say one thing to tamp issues down?” wrote CNN’s Jim Acosta at 2:12 p.m.
Regardless of Williamson’s recommendation urging the President to ship a message about respecting the police, Trump tweeted once more at 2:24 p.m., attacking his vice chairman.
“Mike Pence didn’t have the braveness to do what ought to have been finished to guard our Nation and our Structure, giving States an opportunity to certify a corrected set of information, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they have been requested to beforehand certify. USA calls for the reality!” Trump tweeted.
4 minutes later, Trump’s allies started imploring Meadows to persuade the President to do one thing. The primary message got here from Greene.
“Mark I used to be simply instructed there may be an energetic shooter on the primary ground of the Capitol Please inform the President to calm individuals This isn’t the way in which to resolve something,” Greene wrote at 2:28 p.m.
Fox’s Laura Ingraham texted Meadows at 2:32 p.m., “Hey Mark, The president wants to inform individuals within the Capitol to go dwelling. That is hurting all of us.”
Meadows heard from native contacts, too, together with one who castigated the White Home chief of employees for his position main as much as the riot.
At 2:34 p.m., North Carolina-based Republican strategist Carlton Huffman wrote, “You’ve earned a particular place in infamy for the occasions of right now. And if you happen to’re the Christian you declare to be in your coronary heart you understand that.”
“It’s actually dangerous up right here on the hill,” texted Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia at 2:44 p.m.
At 2:46 p.m., GOP Rep. Will Timmons of South Carolina wrote to Meadows: “The president must cease this ASAP.”
A number of who texted Meadows instructed CNN they hoped their messages would persuade the chief of employees to face as much as Trump and get him to cease the violence.
‘We love you, you’re very particular’
At 2:48 p.m., Meadows responded to Loudermilk that “POTUS is partaking.” However Trump wouldn't inform the rioters to depart the Capitol for an additional hour and a half as messages continued to pour in from Trump allies, Meadows associates and reporters in search of a White Home response.
Jonathan Karl of ABC Information texted at 2:53 p.m., “What are you going to do to cease this? What's the president going to do?”
Karl mentioned of his textual content to Meadows, “I used to be asking a query as a reporter who wished to know what was taking place contained in the White Home because the Capitol was being attacked. However I used to be additionally asking as an American horrified by what I used to be witnessing.”
Meadows acquired extra messages from contacts in his dwelling state urging Trump to intervene.
At 3:42 p.m., North Carolina-based lobbyist Tom Cors wrote, “Pls have POTUS name this off on the Capitol. Urge rioters to disperse. I pray to you.”
At 3:52 p.m., North Carolina lawyer Jay Leutze texted, “Mark, this assault within the Capitol is tragic for the nation. Please name it off so the Congress can resume its peaceable debate.”
Lastly, at 4:17 p.m., Trump launched a video message telling the rioters to depart the Capitol. The video he tweeted was simply over a minute lengthy.
“I do know your ache. I do know you’re harm,” Trump mentioned. “We now have to have peace. We now have to have legislation and order. We now have to respect our nice individuals in legislation and order. We don’t need anyone harm.”
Trump concluded, “So go dwelling. We love you, you’re very particular. You’ve seen what occurs, you see the way in which others are handled which might be so dangerous and so evil. I understand how you are feeling, however go dwelling and go dwelling in peace.”
‘Good that you just made that video’
Trump’s video helped ease a number of the stress being directed towards Meadows. Priebus, a former White Home chief of employees, instructed Meadows at 4:20 p.m., “Good that you just made that video.”
The video additionally wasn’t Trump’s ultimate phrase. At 6:01 p.m., he despatched one other tweet as soon as once more falsely claiming fraud. Trump’s Twitter account was suspended a little bit over an hour later earlier than he was finally banned from the platform.
“These are the issues and occasions that occur when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from nice patriots who've been badly & unfairly handled for thus lengthy,” Trump tweeted. “Go dwelling with love & in peace. Keep in mind today perpetually!”
That night, Meadows acquired quite a few queries from reporters asking in regards to the fallout of the riot, resembling questions on whether or not Cupboard secretaries have been resigning or contemplating invoking the twenty fifth Modification to take away Trump from workplace. He was requested about Pence’s state of affairs, too, together with by Hannity, who texted at 7:57 p.m., “Wth is going on with VPOTUS.” Meadows doesn't seem to have responded.
A number of reporters additionally texted Meadows asking whether or not he personally was contemplating resigning.
“Off the file. No,” he responded at 10:21 p.m. to reporter Al Weaver of The Hill.
‘Mrs. Trump has additionally signed off’
Whereas rioters have been nonetheless being cleared from the Capitol, there have been questions on whether or not the Home and Senate would reconvene to complete counting the electoral votes. Republican and Democratic leaders in each chambers vowed to take action.
At 8:06 p.m., Pence gaveled the Senate again into session.
“At this time was a darkish day within the historical past of america Capitol,” he started from the Senate dais.
The vice chairman condemned the violence and mentioned the reassembled lawmakers have been there to defend and help the Structure. “Let’s get again to work,” he concluded to loud cheers.
After two months of attempting to overturn the 2020 election, the Meadows textual content logs present, Trump’s crew had ready a draft assertion as soon as the certification was full, which mentioned there “will likely be an orderly transition on January twentieth.”
In a gaggle textual content at 10:01 p.m., Trump marketing campaign spokesman Miller reached out to Meadows, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Trump aide Dan Scavino. “Chief, Jared, Dan – under please discover an authorised assertion from the President to exit proper as they’re finalizing the votes, which we’re anticipating to be 3am, although with some Members caving it might occur earlier,” Miller texted. “Mrs. Trump has additionally signed off.”
Kushner weighed in with a suggestion about tips on how to launch the assertion. “Why don’t we publish on his Fb web page since he isn’t locked on the market,” Kushner wrote, after Trump had been suspended from Twitter a number of hours earlier.
“I’ll be up,” responded Scavino, “let me know when okay to drop, and it’s official…simply acquired off w/them.”
In the long run, Scavino tweeted the assertion from his private account at 3:49 a.m. on January 7, 5 minutes after Biden’s win was lastly licensed and Pence gaveled out the joint session of Congress.