House Democrat Pleads With Fox Hosts Who Texted Meadows: ‘Tell the American People the Truth,’ Like in Those Messages
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) on Tuesday called on Fox News hosts who texted former Donald Trump chief-of-staff Mark Meadows to open up about their communications with the White House during the Capitol riot when addressing the House select committee investigating Jan. 6.
Following Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-WY) revelation Monday that three Fox News hosts were in contact with Meadows during the riot asking him to urge Trump to do more to quell the violence, McGovern addressed them after none mentioned their communications with Meadows on the network either on Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
“I think it’s notable that as of the start of the meeting that there have been zero mentions on Fox News of their hosts’ texts to Mark Meadows. The texts that Mrs. Cheney read last night at the… committee’s meeting. Not one. And that’s despite the fact that one of the hosts that texted him was live on the air all morning,” McGovern said in what was an apparent reference to Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade.
McGovern added, “I can’t account for what was said while we were in this hearing. But look, I’m glad these hosts privately pushed to stop the violence on that awful day. But what I’m upset about is.. what they’ve publicly said ever since. That what happened that day somehow wasn’t the fault of Donald Trump and his allies. That what happened really wasn’t a big deal. That all this is being overhyped.”
The Massachusetts Democrat added, “This would be a good time for these hosts to use their platforms to tell the American people the truth just like they privately texting Mark Meadows the truth on that terrible day. That the president’s inaction hurt us all. That he should have done more. That he should have pushed to stop the violence.”
Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Kilmeade each reached out to the White House to request action from Trump shortly after the Capitol was breached on Jan. 6, Cheney said Monday during a House select committee hearing.
Kilmeade reportedly texted Meadows to “get [Trump] on TV,” as the events at the Capitol were “destroying everything you have accomplished,” while Hannity asked Meadows if Trump could issue a statement to ask supporters to disperse.
Ingraham reportedly sent a message that stated, “Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy.”
Neither Hannity nor Ingraham mentioned the messages on their respective primetime shows on Monday, while Kilmeade and Fox & Friends also stayed mum on Kilmeade’s reported message to Meadows.
Watch above, via CNN.
