The president sat and watched an attack on our nations capital on TV and did nothing for 3 hours and your response is "what difference does it make?"
You don't think he could have made public statements like his aids were begging him to do?
You don't think he could have called the national guard like pence ultimately ended up doing?
You don't think he could have refrained from tweeting that Pence didn't have courage to violate the constitution while his supporters were chanting hang Mike Pence?
Or he could have simply taken the advice of his allies...
Four minutes later, Trump's allies began imploring Meadows to convince the President to do something. The first message came from Greene.
"Mark I was just told there is an active shooter on the first floor of the Capitol Please tell the President to calm people This isn't the way to solve anything," Greene wrote at 2:28 p.m.
Fox's Laura Ingraham texted Meadows at 2:32 p.m., "Hey Mark, The president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us."
Meadows heard from local contacts, too, including one who castigated the White House chief of staff for his role leading up to the insurrection.
At 2:34 p.m., North Carolina-based Republican strategist Carlton Huffman wrote, "You've earned a special place in infamy for the events of today. And if you're the Christian you claim to be in your heart you know that."
"It's really bad up here on the hill," texted Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia at 2:44 p.m.
At 2:46 p.m., GOP Rep. Will Timmons of South Carolina wrote to Meadows: "The president needs to stop this ASAP."
Several who texted Meadows told CNN they hoped their messages would convince the chief of staff to stand up to Trump and get him to stop the violence.
'We love you, you're very special'
At 2:48 p.m., Meadows responded to Loudermilk that "POTUS is engaging." But Trump would not tell the rioters to leave the Capitol for another hour and a half as messages continued to pour in from Trump allies, Meadows associates and reporters seeking a White House response.
Jonathan Karl of ABC News texted at 2:53 p.m., "What are you going to do to stop this? What is the president going to do?"
Karl said of his text to Meadows, "I was asking a question as a reporter who wanted to know what was happening inside the White House as the Capitol was being attacked. But I was also asking as an American horrified by what I was witnessing."
Meadows received more messages from contacts in his home state urging Trump to intervene.
At 3:42 p.m., North Carolina-based lobbyist Tom Cors wrote, "Pls have POTUS call this off at the Capitol. Urge rioters to disperse. I pray to you."
At 3:52 p.m., North Carolina lawyer Jay Leutze texted, "Mark, this assault in the Capitol is tragic for the country. Please call it off so the Congress can resume its peaceful debate."
