A trove of texts to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows obtained by CNN revealed the lengths that numerous Republican officials were willing to go to in order to help former president Donald Trump overturn the 2020 presidential election, as well as plans on who to blame and how Mr Trump should respond to the January 6 insurrection.
In response to the 6 January riot, Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller tweeted Mr Meadows about how Mr Trump should respond.
“Call me crazy, but ideas for two tweets from POTUS: 1) Bad apples, likely ANTIFA or other crazed leftists, infiltrated today's peaceful protest over the fraudulent vote count. Violence is never acceptable! MAGA supporters embrace our police and the rule of law and should leave the Capitol now! 2) The fake news media who encouraged this summer's violent and radical riots are now trying to blame peaceful and innocent MAGA supporters for violent actions. This isn't who we are! Our people should head home and let the criminals suffer the consequences!”
On the day of the riot, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, one of the biggest supporters of the then-president’s lie that the election was stolen and a frequent peddler of conspiracy theories, texted Mr Meadows about her fear there was an active shooter.
“Please tell the President to calm people,” she texted him. “This isn’t the way to solve anything.”
But the next day, she sought to absolve the president.
“I don’t think that President Trump caused the attack on the Capitol,” she said in a message. “It’s not his fault. Antifa was mixed in the crowed [sic] and instigated it, and sadly people followed. But when people try everything and no one listens and nothing works, I guess they think they have no other choice.”
A few days later, on 17 January, with only three days left in Mr Trump’s presidency, Ms Greene came up with an alternative plan, saying that he should call for martial law, which she misspelled.
“In our private chat with only Members, several are saying the only way to save our Republic is for Trump to call for Marshall law [sic],” she said. “ I don’t know on those things. I just wanted you to tell him. They stole this election. We all know. They will destroy our country next. Please tel [sic] him to declassify as much as possible so we can go after Biden and anyone else!”
Last week, during a court hearing in Georgia, Ms Greene was asked whether she discussed Mr Trump invoking martial law.
“I don’t recall,” she said.
Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas repeated similar remarks, saying that Capitol Police told him that there would be members of Antifa dressed as Trump supporters.
“Good that Trump denounces violence but could add & well demand justice for those who became violent & well get to the bottom of what group they’re with,” he texted.
