Mark Meadows is the Tom Hagen of Donald Trump’s attempted election coup. Like the consigliere for Don Vito Corleone, he knows where the bodies are buried—or at least where Trump (and he) tried to bury them. This past week, the House of Representatives cited Meadows for contempt for refusing to cooperate with its committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. And during the committee’s contempt deliberations, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) revealed that the panel had obtained text messages Meadows received on 1/6 from lawmakers, Fox hosts, and Donald Trump Jr. begging him to get Trump to take quick and decisive action to stop the rampaging on the Hill—which Trump did not.

Those texts, as I noted in a much-retweeted article, indicate that Meadows has presented a wildly misleading depiction of January 6 in his new book, The Chief’s Chief, recounting his 10 months as Trump’s final White House chief of staff. (Does he really believe, as he wrote, that the 1/6 attack was merely the “actions of a handful of fanatics”?) And the texts underscore the fact that Meadows says nothing in the book about how he and Trump reacted to the insurrectionist riot as it was happening. There is nada on what actions he and his boss took—that is, if they took any. Meadows apparently believes that readers who plunk down $28 for his book don’t deserve to know what transpired on the most consequential day of his stint at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The Meadows texts received much media notice, and, in a way, they drew attention away from another Meadows story that emerged this past week: his prominent role as a co-conspirator in Trump’s plot against America. As part of the move to refer a criminal contempt motion regarding Meadows to the Justice Department, the January 6 committee released a 51-page report that included a limited summary of the steps Meadows took to help overturn the election results.

In many scandals and controversies, revelations tend to appear intermittently. Facts pile up in no particular order. And it can be hard to keep track of all the developments and maintain a complete understanding of the perfidy. Congressional investigations can address this by producing reports that present full—or this-is-what-we-know-as-of-now—narratives. This is one of the tasks of the 1/6 committee, and with this Meadows report it illustrated how it can accomplish that.

Here’s a partial accounting of what Meadows did, according to the committee:

Meadows encouraged members of Congress to press Republican legislators in certain states to send alternate slates of electors to Congress. He told one House member the White House had “a team” working on this.
Meadows forwarded baseless claims of election fraud to Justice Department officials and encouraged investigations.
Meadows hooked up Trump with a senior Justice Department official named Jeffrey Clark, who was promoting within the agency unfounded allegations of election fraud. Clark tried to get the acting attorney general both to declare there had been fraud and to tell officials in GOP-controlled state legislatures to appoint alternate slates of electors who back Trump.
Meadows participated in meetings and calls during which Trump’s allies discussed how to keep pushing the claim the election had been stolen from Trump after courts had rejected these allegations. One such meeting occurred in the Oval Office with Trump and members of Congress. And Meadows was part of a call days before the January 6 attack with Trump, members of Congress, lawyers for the Trump campaign, and several hundred state and local officials to discuss how to overturn Electoral College results on January 6, 2021.
Meadows traveled to Georgia to observe an audit of the votes days after Trump complained that the audit—which produced no evidence of fraud—was moving slowly. That trip precipitated Trump’s inappropriate—if not illegal—calls to Georgia’s deputy secretary of state and, later, secretary of state. In the call with the secretary of state, which Meadows joined, Trump pressed his unsupported claims of widespread election fraud and pushed the secretary of state to find enough votes to ensure his victory. (The Atlanta district attorney has been investigating Trump for this.)
Meadows participated in a meeting that reportedly occurred on December 18, 2020, with Trump, the White House counsel, an attorney associated with the campaign, White House staff, and private citizens to consider proposals for reversing the 2020 election results. During the meeting, the participants reportedly discussed purported foreign interference in the election, seizing voting machines, invoking federal laws, such as the National Emergencies Act, and appointing one of the attendees as a special counsel with a top-secret security clearance to investigate fraud in the election. White House officials, including Meadows, reportedly opposed some of the more outlandish ideas but did not take steps to end Trump’s Big Lie crusade.
Meadows reportedly sent an email—subject line ‘‘Constitutional Analysis of the Vice President’s Authority for January 6, 2021, Vote Count’’—to an aide to Vice President Mike Pence containing a memo written by a Trump campaign attorney. The memo contended that Pence during the January 6 certification in Congress could declare that electoral votes from six states were in dispute and postpone the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.

There’s more. Phil Waldron, a retired US Army colonel who was circulating a proposal to challenge the 2020 election by declaring a national security emergency, says he met with Meadows at the White House multiple times. This is dangerous stuff: a White House chief of staff discussing the imposition of emergency rule to undo an election. And the Senate Judiciary Committee in October released a report that detailed Meadows’ efforts to pressure the Justice Department to subvert the election. As that report says Meadows violated “longstanding restrictions on White House-DOJ communications” and requested the acting attorney general, Jeffrey Rosen, investigate the most lunatic and baseless allegations of election fraud, including so-called “ItalyGate,” the ultra-crazy conspiracy theory that the CIA and an Italian IT contractor had used military satellites to manipulate voting machines to switch Trump votes to Biden votes.

Meadows’ fingerprints are all over Trump’s attempted coup. He was in on the scheme. He can reveal (or confirm) many details pertaining to Trump’s plotting to defy the Constitution and retain power. And, of course, he can also tell the committee—and the public—what happened in the Oval Office during the January 6 assault on Congress. He witnessed Trump’s failure to act that day—and, as Trump’s chief factotum, he owns a piece of that failure and betrayal.

Given Meadows’ role in Trump’s efforts to induce election fraud, it’s not surprising he has considered pleading the Fifth Amendment before the 1/6 committee. He was riding shotgun with Trump throughout the post-election stretch—as involved in presidential abuses as Richard Nixon’s henchmen had been. (Six White House aides and a former attorney general ended up serving prison sentences for Watergate crimes.) Meadows’ book, of course, does not recount any of this. It’s a cover story, and his refusal to testify is a cover-up—not just to protect Trump, but to save his own hide.

Got anything to say about this item—or anything else? Email me at thisland@motherjones.com.

Dumbass Comment of the Week

Let’s start with a dishonorable mention for Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for a comment earlier this month that didn’t get noticed until a few days ago. For about seven months, Cotton had blocked the confirmation of US attorneys in Illinois, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey—all states represented by Democrats who sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Why did Cotton, a diehard law-and-order guy, gum up the works of federal law enforcement? Because Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the committee chair, had interrupted him during a committee meeting in March. Yes, he had his feelings hurt. This occurred during a nomination hearing for Vanita Gupta, who President Biden had appointed associate attorney general, when Cotton and the Republicans appeared to be speechifying to prevent a vote on Gupta. Cotton was so upset that Durbin had cut him off that he would not permit the nominations of these five US attorneys to move forward without an apology. On December 7, Cotton admitted this on the Senate floor: "I...said that if the senator from Illinois would simply express regret for what happened that day and pledge that it wouldn't happen again, I would be happy to let all these nominees move forward." Durbin did apologize, and that day the five US attorney nominees were confirmed. Let’s recap: Cotton thwarted the nomination of law enforcement officials for months because Durbin interrupted him during a hearing. He defended himself last week with this statement: "If there are not consequences when rules and traditions are breached in this institution, we will soon not have rules and traditions.” That sounds good, right? Yet Cotton voted against a bipartisan and independent probe of a violent attack on the US Congress, which certainly breached rules and traditions. So let’s recognize Cotton for this supersized dose of snowflake hypocrisy.

On to the winner. Are you mystified by the millions of Americans who have refused to take simple steps—wearing a mask when appropriate and getting vaccination shots—to protect themselves (and their loved ones) from being killed by COVID-19? In part, it’s because the Trumpified right wing is crazy. Look at this video from the so-called ReAwaken America Tour, held last weekend, which featured such Trump cultists as dirty trickster Roger Stone, conspiracy nutter Alex Jones, Pillow Guy Mike Lindell, disgraced national security adviser Michael Flynn, and No. 2 Son Eric Trump. The hall seems full, and heads are nodding, as anti-vaxxer Leigh Dundas goes batcrap bonkers, comparing vaccinations to the Nazi genocide:

“We are killing mothers and fathers and, worse, we are killing our children,” she screams. “And that is a genocide. In 1940, the world sat silent and watched Nazi Germany experiment on medically vulnerable people…And we said, ‘Never again. We will never again experiment on people without their true and informed medical consent.’ And yet here we are. This has got to stop! Now! The bullet train to Auschwitz has now arrived.” Dundas claimed that 20,000 people have been killed by COVID vaccinations. Uh, no. This is disinformation—and dangerous propaganda that is intended to frighten people so they do not vaccinate. Dundas’ screech gets this week’s prize. Sadly, for millions of Trumpers, this idiocy works. Especially because such anti-vax insanity is encouraged or at least accepted by key figures in Trumpland, including Fox hosts and Trump’s offspring. According to the ReAwaken America schedule, Eric Trump hit the stage about an hour after Dundas’ hysterical performance. His presence legitimized her deadly raving. Wittingly or not, he was helping her to kill people with her lethally unhinged rant.

Got a nomination for Dumbass Comment of the Week? Email me at thisland@motherjones.com.

The MailBag

First, a request: As we come to the close of 2021, please send me your thoughts about this year. Did the developments of 2021 provide any optimism? Did they scare you? Are you encouraged or alarmed by what’s happened politically? What do you expect, fear, or hope for in 2022? Write me at thisland@motherjones.com. And a reminder: include your full name.

This week, Mitri Zainea sent in a complaint:

Tired of reading about what we already know about Trump. Run stories about Democrats sitting on their hands while all of this goes down. Why isn't the DOJ charging him for his many publicly committed crimes? Why doesn't the Senate end the filibuster and pass all of the bills that will protect our democracy? Run those stories. We already know we were taken by Trump and his fascist Republican enablers.

Paying attention to the Democrats on the filibuster, the voting rights bills, the Build Back Better agenda, and everything else is certainly important. Yet given that Donald Trump is currently the lead contender for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination and that there has been talk among Republicans that he could be chosen House speaker should the Rs win the House next year, I believe it remains important to keep chronicling his past and present misdeeds.

There was a strong division in opinion regarding my piece headlined “Denounce Julian Assange. Don’t Extradite Him.” My old pal Marc Cooper wrote, “Yes. Yes. And yes.” (Check out his newsletter, The Coop Scoop.) Another reader said, “Thanks for helping me think this one through.” And Chuck Rinaldi commented, “A very thought-provoking, articulate argument for free speech. Kudos.”

Other readers wanted to see Assange extradited. Harry Hannah emailed:

What we could do is extradite him, but [do] a deal with him to drop most of the other charges for full information on what he did in the 2016 election and what he knew about others’ actions. Let him have a short sentence in Australia and agree to stop his activities. A great way to perhaps gain insight on the 2016 election.

Alfred Higgins remarked:

I appreciate the points you have made regarding U.S. prosecution efforts against Julian Assange and their potential impact on freedom of the press. In sum, however, you make a compelling argument for the prosecution and punishment of Assange, considering the magnitude of impact his actions have had on U.S. democracy, as well as democracy worldwide, and the assuredly political motivations behind these actions. Perhaps the direction and elements of the prosecution are tangential to what Assange actually perpetrated, but sometimes the reach of the law is forced to deviate from the most direct path of prosecution in order to achieve justice. In the balance between bringing Assange to justice and future encroachments on freedom of the press, I would consider also the enormous damage Assange has already done to that freedom both directly and indirectly. In my opinion, his extradition and prosecution may not alter the trajectory of threats to the First Amendment we have witnessed over the past five years.

Suzanne Cloud was vociferous:

For all the reasons you state in your newsletter, Julian Assange must be held accountable for all he has done. As you said, he weaponized his resources as a journalist to destroy Clinton and helped Trump win. Maybe he's being extradited on a charge that may harm journalists, but that can be challenged on its face. Leaving him to wander free under a penalty of denouncement? Nope. You wouldn't want that sort of outcome from the January 6th select committee against the Trump traitors who planned the coup. Americans really want to see the people who hurt them and their society punished (like the rich weren't after 2008). So Julian has to face the music, too. I was totally for Assange before he colluded with Putin to hurt the United States. I seem to remember a certain New York Times "journalist" Judith Miller who held herself up as a principled martyr after she helped Dick Cheney fool many into the Iraq War. Standards need to be maintained or things fall apart.

Roger Smith responded to the recent newsletter about Trump raising $1 billion through a financial device called a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) for his new media empire:

All of us are indebted to you, to Russ Choma and to Mother Jones for years of diligent effort to expose Trump's nefarious activities. May I add the following? The clever creation of the SPAC vehicle was carefully designed to skirt the elaborate web of laws and regulations before a venture can accept investment from the general investing public. In other words, it is the IDEAL way for a perennial rule-skirter (or outright rule-breaker) like Donald Trump to control $1 billion of cash with no oversight—and with no risk to him personally. Of course, there might be REPUTATIONAL risk but we know that holds no fear for Trump. However, it is hard to get terribly exercised about this unindicted criminal have access to $1 billion of public money. Not when, over a four-year period, he was able to run up total public debt of $5.8 trillion, all of which we the people will need to repay.

Regarding the same article—which noted that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) was retiring from the House to become head of Trump’s enterprise, Ed Van Buren wrote: “Your mention of Devin Nunes being a farmer seemed to be derisive. For my money, it’s the first good thing I ever heard about the congressman.”

Ed, that was not my intention. I have tremendous respect for farmers. My point was that Trump had hired a fellow who had no relevant experience to run his billion-dollar media company. As an investor, I would not view Nunes’ appointment as an encouraging sign. After all, this is a guy who once sued a fake cow.

MoxieCam™

“Moxie,” I asked. “Why do you play more intently with Pearl, another standard poodle, than with your other dog friends?”

Moxie thought about it for a moment and replied, “She just gets me.”

Read Recent Issues of This Land

December 14, 2021: Denounce Julian Assange, don’t extradite him; why WandaVision is marvelous; hanging out with Neil Young and Crazy Horse in an old barn; and more.

December 11, 2021: Trump’s newest—and biggest—potential conflict of interest; Dumbass Comment of the Week (Tucker Carlson Edition); the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.

December 7, 2021: John Lennon and the NRA—four decades later; Chris Christie: Trump is afraid to lose in 2024; an inspiring documentary about Jacques Cousteau; and more.

December 4, 2021: Donald Trump and the Cruddy Pan Theory of human behavior; Peter Thiel, kingmaker?; Dumbass Comment of the Week; the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.

November 30, 2021: One big reason to fear a Trump restoration: revenge; why The Beatles: Get Back is one of the greatest documentaries ever; Tick, tick…BOOM! is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s love letter to theater geeks; and more.

November 23, 2021: How dangerous is Peter Thiel?; No Time to Die as a daddy-daughter film; spending time with Nick Offerman; Aimee Mann’s fabulous new album; and more.

November 20, 2021: Should the Democrats really push the panic button?; the Steele dossier and Donald Trump’s betrayal of America; Dumbass Comment of the Week; the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.

November 16, 2021: New information on how Donald Trump killed 400,000 (or more) Americans; Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. on the witness stand in a Trump corruption trial?; American Rust shines with Jeff Daniels; Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp face the final song; and more.

November 13, 2021: Does blue-state America care more about red-state America than vice versa?; Dumbass Comment of the Week; how to get back issues of This Land; the Mailbag, MoxieCam™; and more.

November 9, 2021: Why an ex-Trump aide just told me to “burn in hell”; Matt Damon’s compassionate portrayal of a screw-up from Trump Country; behind the scenes at the Beatles’ Let It Be sessions; and more.

November 6, 2021: The Democrats’ anger problem; Dumbass Comment of the Week; the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.

November 2, 2021: Whatever happened to Christian Nationalism and the January 6 attack?; thoughts and prayers for COP26; Rock ’n’ Roll Flashback: Bob Dylan, Jesus, and me; and more.