Donald Trump Jr. said his father needed to ‘condemn’ Capitol violence as it unfolded, Meadows texts reveal
“‘He’s got to condemn this sh*t ASAP. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough,'” Trump Jr. wrote in one message to Meadows, according to the committee’s vice chairwoman, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.
Cheney detailed that when Meadows had texted back that he agreed, Trump Jr. said: “We need an Oval office address. He has to lead now. It has gone too far and gotten out of hand.”
Cheney said Monday that other texts about the attack were sent in real time.
“These text messages leave no doubt: The White House knew exactly what was happening here at the Capitol,” she said.
The congresswoman read aloud the messages — which she said had been sent between Meadows and lawmakers, Fox News personalities and the then-President’s son — during the meeting, saying:
“Another, ‘They have breached the Capitol.'”
“In a third, ‘Mark, protesters are literally storming the Capitol. Breaking windows on doors. Rushing in. Is Trump going to say something?'”
“A fourth, ‘There’s an armed standoff at the House Chamber door.'”
“And another, from someone inside the Capitol, ‘We are all helpless.'”
“Dozens of texts, including from Trump administration officials, urged immediate action by the President,” Cheney continued in her reading, saying:
“Another, ‘Mark, he needs to stop this. Now.'”
“A third, in all caps, ‘TELL THEM TO GO HOME.'”
“A fourth, and I quote, ‘POTUS needs to calm this sh*t down.'”
“Indeed, according to the records, multiple Fox News hosts knew the President needed to act immediately,” Cheney said, adding: “They texted Mr. Meadows, and he has turned over those texts.”
“‘Please get him on TV. Destroying everything you have accomplished,’ Brian Kilmeade texted.”
“‘Can he make a statement? Ask people to leave the Capitol?’ Sean Hannity urged.”
“As the violence continued,” Cheney said, “one of the President’s sons texted Mr. Meadows.”
“Meadows responded: ‘I’m pushing it hard. I agree.'”
“Still, President Trump did not immediately act,” Cheney detailed, adding that “Donald Trump Jr. texted again and again,” urging action by his father.
When the certification of the Electoral College vote eventually happened in the early hours of January 7, Meadows received a text calling January 6 a “terrible day.”
“Yesterday was a terrible day. We tried everything we could in our objections to the 6 states,” the text read, according to Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who’s a member of the panel. “I’m sorry nothing worked.”
CNN’s Zachary Cohen and Ryan Nobles contributed to this report.
