WHODUNNIT

Mystery Lawmakers Frantically Texted Meadows About Capitol Riot: Jan. 6 Panel

At least one elected official suggested to Trump’s chief of staff that then-Vice President Mike Pence should invalidate “unconstitutional” electoral votes on the Senate floor.

Amid a slew of panicked texts from the likes of Donald Trump Jr. and Sean Hannity, former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows’ phone blew up on Jan. 6 and just after with messages from unnamed politicians steaming and scheming over the 2020 election results. During a Monday night hearing of the House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced several text messages from these legislators, saying that “the committee is not naming these figures at this time, as our investigation is ongoing.”

At least one text was an attempt to cajole, through Meadows, then-Vice President Mike Pence into overturning Joe Biden’s victory. He “should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all,” it said. Another, from a separate politician, was sent to Meadows on Jan. 7. It read: “Yesterday was a terrible day. We tried everything we could in our objection to the six states. I’m sorry nothing worked.” In speculating who was behind the messages, Twitter lit up with a rogue’s gallery of the usual suspects, including Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO).