Jan. 6 Committee Unanimously Votes to Hold Mark Meadows in Contempt after Liz Cheney Reads Texts from Don Jr. and Fox News Hosts

The select congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 rioting at the U.S. Capitol unanimously voted Monday to recommend contempt of Congress charges against Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff in the Trump administration.

Ahead of the vote, committee member Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Ariz.) read text messages from Donald Trump Jr. and various Fox News hosts on Jan. 6 calling for then-President Donald Trump to tell his supporters to stop rioting.

“Mark, the president needs to tell people in the capitol to go home,” read one text from Laura Ingraham to Meadows. “This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy.”

“Please, get him on TV, destroying everything you have accomplished,” texted Brian Kilmeade.

“Can he make a statement? Ask people to leave the capitol?” texted Sean Hannity.

“He’s got to condemn this s*** ASAP,” texted his son to Meadows. “The Capitol Police tweet is not enough.”

“I am pushing it hard, I agree,” texted Meadows back.

Cheney said that Trump Jr. went on to demand Meadows have Trump take action during the rioting via text.