As the House select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot continues to gather evidence, text messages obtained by the panel have shed light on the extent to which some Republican lawmakers were willing to go to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The messages, sent to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in the weeks leading up to the attack, show that a number of GOP members of Congress were actively involved in efforts to pressure state officials and election officials to change the outcome of the election in Trump's favor.
These text messages provide further evidence of the depth of Trump's attempts to overturn the election, and they raise questions about the role that some members of Congress played in those efforts.
gop lawmakers who texted meadows
Explosive texts reveal coup attempt.
- GOP members pressured officials.
- Trump's election coup attempt.
- Efforts to overturn election results.
- Changing electoral votes.
- Baseless fraud claims.
- Subverting democracy.
- Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally.
- Links to January 6th attack.
- Accountability for lawmakers.
- Protecting American democracy.
These text messages are a stark reminder of the fragility of our democracy and the importance of holding those who seek to undermine it accountable.
GOP members pressured officials.
The text messages obtained by the House select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot reveal that a number of GOP members of Congress were actively involved in efforts to pressure state officials and election officials to change the outcome of the election in Trump's favor.
One of the most striking examples of this is a text message sent by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to Meadows on November 7th, 2020, just days after the election. In the message, Greene urged Meadows to have Trump declare a national emergency and order the military to seize voting machines.
Other GOP lawmakers also sent text messages to Meadows in which they expressed support for Trump's efforts to overturn the election. For example, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) texted Meadows on November 6th, 2020, saying, "We need to fight back. You should have the President tweet about the fraud and have him call us into special session and send electors back to vote for him."
The text messages show that GOP members of Congress were willing to go to great lengths to try to overturn the results of the election, even if it meant subverting democracy.
These text messages are a clear indication of the depth of Trump's attempts to overturn the election, and they raise serious questions about the role that some members of Congress played in those efforts.
Trump's election coup attempt.
The text messages obtained by the House select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot provide further evidence of the depth of Trump's attempts to overturn the election.
In the weeks leading up to the January 6th attack, Trump repeatedly pressured state officials and election officials to change the outcome of the election in his favor. He also encouraged his supporters to come to Washington, D.C., on January 6th to protest the election results.
On January 6th, Trump gave a speech to his supporters in which he repeated his false claims of election fraud and urged them to march on the Capitol. A mob of Trump supporters then stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the election results.
The text messages show that Trump was at the center of a coordinated effort to overturn the election. He was directly involved in pressuring state officials and election officials, and he encouraged his supporters to violence.
Trump's actions on January 6th were an attempt to subvert democracy and overturn the results of a free and fair election. His efforts failed, but they represent a grave threat to American democracy.
Efforts to overturn election results.
The text messages obtained by the House select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot reveal that a number of GOP members of Congress and Trump allies were involved in efforts to overturn the results of the election.
- Pressuring state officials.
Some GOP lawmakers sent text messages to state officials in an attempt to pressure them to change the outcome of the election in Trump's favor. For example, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) texted Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger urging him to "audit" the election results and "stop counting" the votes.
- Promoting false claims of election fraud.
Many GOP lawmakers and Trump allies spread false claims of widespread election fraud in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the election results. These claims were repeatedly debunked by election officials and experts, but they were nevertheless used to justify efforts to overturn the election.
- Encouraging violence.
Some GOP lawmakers and Trump allies encouraged Trump's supporters to use violence to overturn the election results. For example, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) told a crowd of Trump supporters on January 6th, "Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass."
- Attempting to prevent Congress from certifying the election results.
On January 6th, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the election results. This attack was the culmination of months of efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the election.
The efforts to overturn the election results were a serious attack on American democracy. They were led by Trump and his allies, and they involved a number of GOP members of Congress. These efforts failed, but they represent a grave threat to American democracy.
Changing electoral votes.
One of the most extreme efforts to overturn the election results was an attempt to change the electoral votes. Electoral votes are the votes that are cast by the Electoral College, and they determine who becomes president. In order to win the presidency, a candidate must receive a majority of the electoral votes.
In the weeks after the election, Trump and his allies pressured state officials in several states to change the electoral votes in Trump's favor. For example, Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and asked him to "find" enough votes to overturn the election results in Georgia. Trump also pressured officials in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona to change the electoral votes in those states.
These efforts to change the electoral votes were illegal. State officials have no authority to change the electoral votes once they have been certified. Nevertheless, Trump and his allies continued to pressure state officials to do so.
The efforts to change the electoral votes were ultimately unsuccessful. State officials refused to change the electoral votes, and Congress certified the election results on January 6th.
The attempts to change the electoral votes were a blatant attempt to subvert the will of the American people. These efforts were led by Trump and his allies, and they represented a grave threat to American democracy.
Baseless fraud claims.
One of the key strategies that Trump and his allies used to try to overturn the election results was to spread baseless claims of widespread election fraud. These claims were repeatedly debunked by election officials and experts, but they were nevertheless used to justify efforts to overturn the election.
Trump and his allies made a number of specific claims of election fraud, including:
- Dead people voting. Trump and his allies claimed that dead people had voted in the election. However, these claims were based on isolated incidents and there is no evidence that widespread voter fraud occurred.
- Illegal immigrants voting. Trump and his allies claimed that illegal immigrants had voted in the election. However, there is no evidence to support this claim. In fact, studies have shown that voter fraud by non-citizens is extremely rare.
- Voting machines being hacked. Trump and his allies claimed that voting machines had been hacked and that votes had been changed. However, there is no evidence to support this claim. In fact, election officials have repeatedly stated that there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
The claims of election fraud made by Trump and his allies were baseless and have been repeatedly debunked. These claims were used to justify efforts to overturn the election results, but they were ultimately unsuccessful.
The spread of baseless claims of election fraud is a serious threat to American democracy. These claims undermine public trust in the electoral process and make it more difficult to conduct free and fair elections.
Subverting democracy.
The efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the election results were a clear attempt to subvert democracy. Democracy is a system of government in which the people have the power to choose their leaders through free and fair elections.
- Pressuring state officials to change the election results.
Trump and his allies pressured state officials in several states to change the electoral votes in Trump's favor. This was illegal and it was an attempt to subvert the will of the people.
- Promoting false claims of election fraud.
Trump and his allies spread baseless claims of widespread election fraud in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the election results. These claims were repeatedly debunked, but they were used to justify efforts to overturn the election.
- Encouraging violence.
Some Trump allies encouraged Trump's supporters to use violence to overturn the election results. This was a clear attempt to intimidate and silence those who were opposed to Trump.
- Attempting to prevent Congress from certifying the election results.
On January 6th, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the election results. This was an attempt to subvert the constitutional process for transferring power.
The efforts by Trump and his allies to subvert democracy were a grave threat to American democracy. These efforts failed, but they exposed the fragility of American democracy and the need to protect it from those who would seek to undermine it.