Text Messages From GOP Members Who Pushed To Overturn 2020 Election Results
[guest post by Dana]
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Oh gee, lookie here:
In the weeks between the 2020 election and the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, almost 100 text messages from two staunch GOP allies of then-President Donald Trump reveal an aggressive attempt to lobby, encourage and eventually warn the White House over its efforts to overturn the election, according to messages obtained by the House select committee and reviewed by CNN.
The report identifies the text messages as sent by sent by Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Here a few examples of the text exchanges pulled from the cache. You can read all of the messages at the link:
NOVEMBER 2020
From Chip Roy to Mark Meadows
We have no tools / data / information to go out and fight RE: election / fraud. If you need / want it, we all need to know what’s going on. Fwiw…From Mark Meadows to Chip Roy
Thanks so much. Working on it for surrogates briefing. Congratulations btwFrom Chip Roy to Mark Meadows
Roger. Yessir, thx. Now let’s hold GA, & take az & pa!From Mark Meadows to Chip Roy
AmenFrom Chip Roy to Mark Meadows
What’s the message? This seems hard to sell:From Chip Roy to Mark Meadows
Any help on message appreciated. We’re all just making generic statements…From Mark Meadows to Chip Roy
If observers are not present then votes should not be uploaded. The fair and open process should be subject to observationFrom Chip Roy to Mark Meadows
Ok
From Chip Roy to Mark Meadows
Good. Be well. If you’re still in the game… dude, we need ammo. We need fraud examples. We need it this weekend.From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
I want to offer words of encouragement to the president, and have reached out to Molly for that purpose. This doesn’t have to come down to a binary choice between (1) an immediate concession, and (2) a destruction of the credibility of the election process.From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
Dear Mr. President, We the undersigned offer our unequivocal support for you to exhaust every legal and constitutional remedy at your disposal to restore Americans faith in our elections. This fight is about much more than just this election. This fight is about the fundamental fairness and integrity of our election system. The nation is depending upon your continued resolve. Stay strong and keep fighting Mr. President.
Next up, Mike Lee works hard to get Sydney Powell involved, and we know how that worked out:
From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
Sydney Powell is saying that she needs to get in to see the president, but she’s being kept away from him. Apparently she has a strategy to keep things alive and put several states back in play. Can you help her get in?From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
It was at the president’s request that Sydney has been working on a strategy and has been trying to get in to see him. But she’s being kept out.From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
[Powell email address][Powell phone number] Sidney Powell
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
The potential defamation liability for the president is significant hereFrom Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
For the campaign and for the president personallyFrom Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
Unless Powell can back up everything she said, which I kind of doubt she canFrom Mark Meadows to Mike Lee
I agree. Very concernedFrom Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
The temptation will be to do nothing for now.From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
I’m not sure doing nothing is a good optionFrom Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
Unless Powell can immediately substantiate what she said today, the president should probably disassociate himself and refute any claims that can’t be substantiatedFrom Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
He’s got deep pockets, and the accusations Powell made are very, very seriousFrom Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
That is an especially bad combination when you consider the damages that could easily be claimed (and indeed proven) and the deep pockets involved.
And there’s an interesting mention of Mark Levin and John Eastman:
NOVEMBER 23, 2020
From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
If you haven’t yet watched tonight’s episode of Life, Liberty, and Levin, you should do so if you can fit it in. Mark Levin makes a very compelling case for the need for litigation related to this election.From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
John Eastman has some really interesting research on this. The good news is is that Eastman is proposing an approach that unlike what Sidney Powell has propose could be examined very quickly.
And then this:
DECEMBER 8, 2020
From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
If a very small handful of states were to have their legislatures appoint alternative slates of delegates, there could be a path.From Mark Meadows to Mike Lee
I am working on that as of yesterdayJANUARY 3, 2021
From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
I have grave concerns with the way my friend Ted is going about this effort.From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
This will not inure to the benefit of the president.
I’ll just leave this last one here, but do read the entirety of the report:
From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
I don’t think the president is grasping the distinction between what we can do and what he would like us to do. Nor do I think he’s grasping the distinction between what certain members are saying that sound like they could help him, but would really hurt him. He’s got a very real opportunity for a win in 2024. That opportunity could be harmed in multiple ways this effort.From Mike Lee to Mark Meadows
Again, all of this could change if the states in question certified Trump electors pursuant to state law. But in the absence of that, this effort is destined not only to fail, but to hurt DJT in the process.January 1
From Chip Roy to Mark Meadows
We’re driving a stake in the heart of the federal republic.
Reminder: This is the crew that wants Trump to run again in 2024. Any member of Congress who, in any way made an effort to overturn the election results and keep Trump in office has no business being in Congress. Looking at you, Mike Lee.
–Dana
Please read all of the text messages at the provided link as I just pulled out a few choice ones.
Dana (5395f9) — 4/15/2022 @ 10:19 amAt least Lee and Roy weren’t part of the 147 fascists who voted to object on 1/6, but they’re still Trumpy tools, and Lee was still agreeing with Eastman’s coup proposal. The hell with ’em.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 4/15/2022 @ 10:36 amInteresting read. I think Lee started out stupidly believing the lies about election fraud and eventually realized it was all BS. At that point he tried to communicate the facts in a way that wouldn’t offend Trump and the anti-American people that support him.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 4/15/2022 @ 10:59 ami’m sure Mike Lee and Chip Roy care very deeply about the Republic and got at least an A- in their 7th grade Civics classes. But this very deep caring must have a limit. And when talking about this deep heartfelt belief in the Republic gets in the way of their reelection and their power…Well, it will hurt some and being a soulless zombie has got to be a bumme. Alas, a mid-level GOP pol has got to have priorities. And something to tell themselves when they rot in one of the lower levels of Hell.
Appalled (1a17de) — 4/15/2022 @ 11:30 amCNN assumes that vbm means Vote By Mail.
Here is an hour of information on that topic:
https://rumble.com/v10ajh2-how-the-did-it-true-the-votes-catherine-engelbrecht-and-gregg-phillips-on-t.html
I have watched it twice since it was published and welcome an honest dialogue of its contents.
BuDuh (340919) — 4/15/2022 @ 12:21 pmLooks like Mike Lee was endorsing the Trumpian code of ethics, in which how it would affect Trump was a higher concern than how it would affect the constitutional republic.
Radegunda (a1c7b4) — 4/15/2022 @ 12:36 pmBuduh, So far no specific, falsifiable claim that the election was determined by fraud (or error for that matter) has held up to investigation. Every claim that’s been investigated has failed to show that the allegations of fraud were correct. The republican run investigation of the WI election said it well; Biden won because a plurality of lawful voters preferred him to the alternatives and voted for him.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 4/15/2022 @ 1:04 pmI didn’t expect you to be bothered by the contents of the link, Time.
Everything they reported is ok by you, I guess.
BuDuh (340919) — 4/15/2022 @ 1:07 pmFor an honest dialogue, try something other than Rumble or Charlie Kirk or True the Vote. The only thing Engelbrecht is good at is making unfounded claims. Or when asked to provide evidence to back up their claims, they refused.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 4/15/2022 @ 1:43 pmPaul does the usual. Yawn.
Enjoy the link if you decide to watch it. Rumble isn’t that scary and certainly deserves to be more than your strawman.
BuDuh (340919) — 4/15/2022 @ 1:46 pmDid you read your fact-check link, Paul? Conflation much?
BuDuh (340919) — 4/15/2022 @ 1:52 pmYour Madison link lacked links to the direct quotes from the testimony setting up arduous search to see whether the author misrepresented anything.
I’ll pass.
BuDuh (340919) — 4/15/2022 @ 1:57 pmDid you read your fact-check link, Paul? Conflation much?Yes, and no, to answer your questions.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 4/15/2022 @ 1:58 pmI watched the first 15 minutes of your little video and concluded they’re full of sh-t.
Populist trumpeters now control the republican party. They will take the house and probably the senate in mid-terms and will be investigating the 2020 election from the other side with impeachment trials likely.
asset (fd6325) — 4/15/2022 @ 2:03 pmI think I have been sent to moderation.
Thanks for the discourse, Paul.
BuDuh (846fd4) — 4/15/2022 @ 2:12 pmRadegunda (a1c7b4) — 4/15/2022 @ 12:36 pm
No he wasn’t endorsing anything here. He was trying to to make an argument that could be passed on to Trump.
An appeal to self-interest, or what might be characterized as self-interest, TRUMPS other arguments, and Trump was not listening to arguments that what he was doing could damage the republic.
But they couldn’t get Trump to accept that there was no way for him to win the 2020 election so arguments that it hurt him for 2024 carried no real weight with him.
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 4/15/2022 @ 2:13 pmIt’s a clip with vague, unsubstantiated claims. It’s not very compelling. But props to Paul for taking you seriously and providing data.
Time123 (66e19f) — 4/15/2022 @ 2:18 pmPaul, Producing evidence would lead to an end in drifting from the gullible conspiracy theorists.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 4/15/2022 @ 2:58 pmSo he was merely echoing the Trumpian code of ethics. But “will this hurt Trump?” should not even have been an issue for Lee, since his sworn responsibility was to uphold the Constitution, not to please Donald Trump or his fanatical supporters.
Did you miss the emails where Lee was urging Meadows to do whatever he could to keep Trump in office?
And shouldn’t it be a matter of concern that Trump was unmoved by arguments concerning damage to the republic? Why is such a person still portrayed as a super-patriot who loves America more than all rivals and critics?
(BTW, some of the most anti-American comments I’ve seen, regarding American institutions and now regarding Russia’s war on Ukraine, come from the fever swamps of the Uber-Trumpy right wing.)
Radegunda (dbb227) — 4/15/2022 @ 3:10 pmIt is not a clip. It is an hour long full interview Time. Jeebers.
What data did Paul provide regarding assistors in Gwinnett County, GA?
BuDuh (340919) — 4/15/2022 @ 3:10 pmMike Lee has no business in Congress. He has demonstrated that his loyalty was not to the Constitution but to protecting an unprincipled liar. That he was willing to make so much effort to keep Trump in office tells me all I need to know about him.
Dana (5395f9) — 4/15/2022 @ 3:58 pmIt now makes more sense that Romney refrained from endorsing Lee for reelection.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 4/15/2022 @ 4:12 pmI added this to the post because I used to like Mike Lee…: Any member of Congress who, in any way made an effort to overturn the election results and keep Trump in office has no business being in Congress. Looking at you, Mike Lee.
Dana (5395f9) — 4/15/2022 @ 4:15 pmHere’s the theory being put forward by BuDuh’s video: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/06/ballot-trafficking-is-next-front-unending-fight-over-2020/
“What data did Paul provide regarding assistors in Gwinnett County, GA?”
Here’s the law regarding absentee ballots in Georgia:
https://casetext.com/statute/code-of-georgia/title-21-elections/chapter-2-elections-and-primaries-generally/article-10-absentee-voting/section-21-2-385-procedure-for-voting-by-absentee-ballot-advance-voting
“Assistors” are people who help others fill out ballots.
There is video of people delivering multiple ballots, which isn’t allowed in Georgia, except for caregivers.
Are the people on video legitimate caregivers or illegal ballot harvesters? That’s the argument.
Davethulhu (da3c71) — 4/15/2022 @ 4:33 pmWe used to like both of these guys.
nk (1d9030) — 4/15/2022 @ 4:39 pmThank you, Dave.
BuDuh (340919) — 4/15/2022 @ 5:00 pm“Thank you, Dave.”
Nobody wants to watch an hour long video starring the dismal Charlie Kirk. Use your words or find a better source.
Davethulhu (da3c71) — 4/15/2022 @ 5:13 pmCharlie Kirk’s guests are first person sources. It doesn’t get much better than that.
That you found corroboration was why I thanked you.
It is too bad shoot the messenger is the debate standard.
BuDuh (340919) — 4/15/2022 @ 5:19 pmIf someone actually believed that the election WAS stolen, I cannot fault them for acting on that belief. Certainly had they gone through with it, *I* would have thought the election had been stolen, and *I* would have acted on it then, too. As would a lot of people well before Trump took his stolen oath.
Were there reasons to thing that the Dems had stolen the vote? Yes, there were. Not very convincing ones to me, but there were some (just as there were about Trump’s win in 2016). Most notable were the number of jurisdictions that had ignored their own laws in sending out absentee ballots. But the argument that the votes had been miscounted was never going to fly.
But again, emotions run high in elections, and this one was pretty messy, so in the calm light of day, and am not going to point fingers here.
Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 4/15/2022 @ 5:19 pmIt seems that emotions still run high. The horse is dead, stop beating it.
Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 4/15/2022 @ 5:21 pmAny member of Congress who, in any way made an effort to overturn the election results and keep Trump in office has no business being in Congress
There are several issues that people vote wrongly on that I would feel more strongly about. This is why we ELECT people and don’t have an Iranian-style candidate approval committee, although I see that they are trying those out in GA and NC.
Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 4/15/2022 @ 5:23 pmI’m guessing that is directed at the video I posted. Time and Paul fell into that same trap. Dave was closer to the subject matter but apparently hates some people.
This particular horse is a mail in pony express model. Even Paul’s dubious Fact-check link correctly points out that True the Vote is not claiming to know that the election ballots were fraudulent. They are hyper focused on the ballot harvesting and the actors involved.
It truly is an astonishing interview that is getting smeared by people who refuse to watch it.
There is no doubt in my mind that the True The Vote people are on to something significant that should bother any voter no matter the party or candidate.
BuDuh (340919) — 4/15/2022 @ 5:31 pmI will quit pestering everyone.
Good luck.
BuDuh (340919) — 4/15/2022 @ 5:34 pmAny Republican who tries to undermine the Electoral College has water on the brain. Without the Electoral College, the last Republican President would have been Ulysses S. Grant. The whole history of the admission of new States since the Civil War is making sure that Republicans have a more or less equal chance with those two extra electors from states with populations smaller than a New York City neighborhood’s.
nk (1d9030) — 4/15/2022 @ 5:53 pmBuduh, I’m sure you do think the True the vote people are on to something. You also thought the CyberNinjas we’re going to prove AZ had a lot of fraud. So your track record on this is poor.
I’ll go back to what I said before. None of the claims of fraud have been proven this far. Every investigation done to date has found the count accurate.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 4/15/2022 @ 6:22 pmFunny, BuDuh, your seeming unawareness of the disconnect between seeking an “honest dialogue” and slumming around in places like Rumble, where only the sketchiest reside. Is that an ad hominem comment? Yes, yes it is.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 4/15/2022 @ 6:48 pmEven if there are examples of questionable behavior, there are various types of fraud in every election, so this is not new. However, there is no broad conspiracy, no mustache-twirling Soros or Rothschild characters, and there is no evidence of any levels of fraud that would change the outcome in one state, let alone in the three or four battleground states necessary to change the Electoral College result.
My stock answer to these many voluminous allegations (and just about every single one has been debunked) is to check it out and see if there’s a there there. I doubt Engelbrecht-Phillips latest will hold water, but we’ll see. The True the Vote folks have already tried several times in the past, and were generally laughed at. But if you want to go the well again, then whatever. It’s been 17 months since the election, and Trump’s Big Lie has indeed turned out to be a big fat lie.
@32: Actually, BuDuh, it has nothing whatsoever to do with you.
Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 4/15/2022 @ 7:21 pmThe whole history of the admission of new States since the Civil War is making sure that Republicans have a more or less equal chance with those two extra electors from states with populations smaller than a New York City neighborhood’s.
Not sure I follow this. A number of small states vote Democrat today. Most of the (new) states admitted after the Civil War were small states when they were admitted.
The whole notion of “small states and their two extra votes” ignores the effect of the unit rule in the huge states. Split CA into 1 red and 2 blue states (more or less the popular vote split) and you have at least 15 more GOP electoral votes than now. Similarly with New York of Illinois outside the big city.
Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 4/15/2022 @ 7:26 pmNY or IL
Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 4/15/2022 @ 7:26 pmSo, let’s say that Lee gets the GOP nomination and he’s running against some loony Utah Democrat (you have to be loony to run as a Democrat in UT). The Democrat takes the position that denying Biden’s win should disqualify Lee from office. Is he doing this because he’s a noble truth-teller, or because it’s handy?
Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 4/15/2022 @ 7:30 pmLet’s see what this does for Evan McMullin.
Demosthenes (3fd56e) — 4/15/2022 @ 7:54 pmLet’s see what this does for Evan McMullin.
Hard to say, I’ve discovered I don’t understand Mormons. The only Marriott I’ve ever stayed at that had a Starbucks open until late was in SLC. Then again, so was the bar.
Kevin M (eeb9e9) — 4/15/2022 @ 11:00 pmKevin,
Believe it or not, almost 90% or higher of current GOP politicians think Trump won the election, even Mitch McConnell. Liz Chaney was reported to have said the day after the election: “this is such bul$%^&” what changed in their public stance was Jan 6th. Privately, they all know he won, won easily and we won the senate and the house. The counting irregularities – the not matching of signatures etc, allowed 4 democrat senators – WHO lost their elections – to be seated.
Rudy and that Woman, I cant remember her name, muddied the waters embarrassingly, with their wild nonsense – when all they had to do was to focus on the illegal changes to the election in the swing states at the last minute that were illegal. Millions of ballots were invalid almost all democrat.
For you to believe that biden won, all you need to look at is the capacity to count, capacity to vote. Obama’s stretched way beyond the previous record, with 69 and 65 million votes. It was a record because the race was a bit closer than people realize. Mittens drew alot of women and independents. THERE ARE SERIOUS allegations that there were millions of fraudulent votes in both of those elections but Mittens conceded immediately, and tamped down ANY attempt to recount or canvass the votes.
Bidens 81 million and Trumps 75 million dont physically add up – trump got more votes than Obama EVER did – or any other president – but somehow biden got more votes than were possible to be cast – if we assume Trumps votes are legitimate.
There still has NOT been an official audit of any votes. Counting fraudulent ballots isnt an audit, and none have been done, why there are at least 5 Democrat senate seats at risk.
EVERYONE IN DC KNOWS THIS
Wait until 2023 when the real hearings begin and in 2024 when people start paying for their crimes.
EPWJ (0fbe92) — 4/17/2022 @ 10:48 amEverything you have just said is a lie.
You are a liar.
Demosthenes (3fd56e) — 4/17/2022 @ 8:13 pmDemoshenes.
Sure. Right. Google. Facts.
EPWJ (ff14bc) — 4/17/2022 @ 8:30 pmI know the facts. A year and a half on, there is no excuse for your conspiracy theories.
You are a liar. You are an un-American liar.
Demosthenes (3fd56e) — 4/17/2022 @ 8:41 pmSure. Go with that. So you support the stealing of elections and the embrace of socialism. Good to know
EPWJ (ff14bc) — 4/17/2022 @ 9:45 pmI shouldn’t be surprised. You have no problem lying about the world. I’m so much smaller and less important than the world. So of course you will lie about me.
I support the truth. Which is why I oppose you. You lie.
Demosthenes (3fd56e) — 4/17/2022 @ 9:59 pm