Washington, in the middle of January 2021, a few days before the inauguration of President Joe Biden, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia sent a text message to then-White house chief of staff Mark Meadows to tell him certain GOP lawmakers in Congress had privately suggested that former President Trump to declare martial law, as per documents that were obtained from CBS News and first reported by CNN. Greene said in testimony last week that she doesn’t recall if she urged the President to declare martial law.
“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,” Greene wrote to Meadows on January 17, 2021. “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 tell him to declassify as much as possible so we can go after Biden and anyone else!”
It’s one of the many messages Greene delivered to Meadows during the period following the election on January 6 2021. Greene also informed Meadows, “we think” the individuals who attacked the Capitol on January 6 “are Antifa” dressed like Trump supporters. Meadows gave texts to the committee investigating the incident and then refused to further cooperate with the panel.
CNN first reported on the texts, and more than 2,000 messages Meadows sent to top advisers, TV celebrities, lawmakers in Congress, and GOP activists.
It is not clear from the record whether Meadows was a participant.
In an administrative hearing last Friday, Greene, who is fighting a challenge from people who want to stop her from being included in the Georgia ballot, said that she isn’t sure if she had pushed President Bush to declare martial law to keep the presidency.
“I don’t recall,” Greene told the court on Friday.
Greene wrote to Meadows during the incident Meadows, too. “Mark I was just told there is an active shooter on the first floor of the Capitol Please tell the President to calm people This isn’t the way to solve anything,” she wrote on January 6, 2021.
On January 7, on the same day as the attack at the Capitol, Greene texted Meadows that “we tried everything we could in our objection to the 6 states,” and she blamed anarchists for the violence at the Capitol. Still, she gave no evidence to support her assertion.
“I’m sorry nothing worked,” she added. “I don’t think that President Trump caused the attack on the Capitol. It’s not his fault. Antifa was mixed in the crowed and instigated it, and safely people followed. But when people try everything and no one listens and nothing works, I guess they think they have no other choice. Absolutely no excuse and I fully denounce all of it, but after shut downs all year and a stolen election, people are saying that they have no other choice. I defended Trump last night on Newsmax. He has been the greatest President. I will continue to defend him. And if anyone attacks you. I hope you are ok. I feel badly for everyone.”
“Thanks Marjorie,” Meadows responded.
Greene also sent a text message to Meadows before the date of January 6, the day of December. 31 the year 2020. However, it’s not evident whether Meadows did or did not respond to the data.
“Good morning, Mark, I’m here in DC,” Greene wrote in December. 31. We must get things in order in time for the 6th. I want to get together with Rudy Giuliani a second time. We did not have the opportunity to talk with him for a long time. We also need anyone who can assist. We’re getting lots of new members. We need to make the most effective argument to each state.”
Others also texted Meadows the day of January 6, after protesters broke into the Capitol at about 2 p.m. In a text confirmed through CBS News, Donald Trump Jr. sent Meadows, “He’s got to condem this shit. Asap. The captiol police tweet is not enough.”
“This his one you go to the mattresses on,” Trump Jr. wrote to Meadows. “They will try to f*** his entire legacy on this if it gets worse.”
Trump Jr.’s tweets could respond to his dad’s post at 2:38 p.m. The tweet didn’t mention the riots: “Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!”
Meadows has provided the documents to the panel on his own as well as Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who is a Republican from Illinois, has told “Face the Nation” last month that he’s “not confident that Meadows has handed over everything at all.”
“He was cooperating with us for a little bit, and then, in an attempt to make Donald Trump happy, he stops cooperating,” Kinzinger declared. “We gave him plenty of space to come back and resume that. He has not.”
