Jan. 6 Panel Releases Trump Jr., Fox News Hosts’ Texts; Votes To Hold Meadows In Contempt

WASHINGTON – The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol voted Monday (Dec. 13) night to hold former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in criminal contempt for defying a subpoena, the Washington Post reports. The committee also released a series of texts from Fox News hosts and Donald Trump Jr. urging Meadows to implore President Donald Trump to call off the violent mob.

The seven Democrats and two Republicans tasked with investigating the insurrection all supported the resolution that could be taken up by the full House as soon as Tuesday.

Last week, Meadows backed away from cooperating with the committee just days after saying he would, arguing that the panel was pressuring him to discuss issues that the former president said are protected by executive privilege. However, he had already produced thousands of documents for the panel, including text messages and emails related to the events of the day.

At a public meeting ahead of the vote Monday, members of the committee used information already provided by Meadows to make the case that he is a key figure in understanding Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results, what role the White House played in planning the rally that preceded the attack, and why Trump did not immediately come out and forcefully call on his supporters to stop their assault on the Capitol once it was underway.

Some of the most dramatic evidence presented Monday night involved texts from allies of the president urging Meadows to get Trump to stop the rioters.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the panel’s vice-chair, read through texts to Meadows from Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Brian Kilmeade, as well as Trump Jr., imploring Meadows to get his father to “condemn this s— Asap. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough.”

“I’m pushing it hard,” Meadows responded. “I agree.”

“We need an Oval address,” Trump Jr. wrote back. “He has to lead now. It has gone too far and gotten out of hand.”

Several Fox News hosts also urged Meadows to get the president on TV or make some kind of statement while he remained silent in the White House as members of the mob assaulted police officers, chanted things like “Hang Mike Pence” and menaced members of Congress.

“Hey Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home … this is hurting all of us … he is destroying his legacy,” wrote Laura Ingraham.

Brian Kilmeade also chimed in. “Please get him on tv,” he texted Meadows. “Destroying everything you have accomplished.”

And Trump friend and popular Fox News host Sean Hannity simply asked Meadows: “Can he make a statement? … Ask people to leave the Capitol.”

The pro-Trump mob’s storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6 resulted in five deaths and injuries to some 140 members of law enforcement. Those who rioted sought to stop the affirmation of Joe Biden’s presidential win.

Trump eventually released a video after 4 p.m. — about two hours after the Capitol was breached — calling for his supporters to abandon their attack while saying he understood what motivated them.

“This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people,” Trump said in the video. “We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home, and go home in peace.”

Members of the panel were dismissive of Meadows’s executive privilege claims, arguing he had already turned over information from his private phone and email account and has recently published a book where he discusses the events of Jan. 6. They said his testimony is needed to understand the events surrounding the worst attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812 as well as Trump’s unprecedented attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.

“These text messages leave no doubt,” Cheney said. “The White House knew exactly what was happening here at the Capitol.”

The committee voted to recommend that Mr. Meadows be charged with criminal contempt of Congress after the former chief of staff shifted from partially participating in the inquiry to waging a full-blown legal fight against the committee, in line with Mr. Trump’s directive to stonewall the investigation.

Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor criminal offense that can result in up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.