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The US congressional committee investigating the Capitol riot has revealed a series of desperate text messages that were sent to the White House during the violence, fruitlessly urging then-president Donald Trump to intervene.
We still know relatively little about Mr Trump’s actions during the riot on January 6, in which a mob of his supporters overran the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s election victory.
Rioters started to fight with law enforcement outside the Capitol at about 1:10pm, and breached police lines an hour later, entering the building by force. Mr Trump did not issue a statement urging them to leave until 4:17pm.
“I know your pain. I know you’re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace,” he said in that video message.
“So go home. We love you. You’re very special.”
In the three hours between the start of the violence and that message, he posted two tweets urging his supporters to “stay peaceful”, but did not tell them to leave.
Beyond that, we do not know of any steps the president took to calm the situation.
Conservative media figures, members of Congress, Trump administration officials and one of Mr Trump’s own children were among those begging the president to do something.
“He’s got to condemn this s*** ASAP. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough,” wrote Mr Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr.
He was referring to a tweet posted at 2:38pm, which read: “Please support our Capitol Police and law enforcement. They are truly on the side of our country. Stay peaceful!”
Mr Meadows replied to Donald Jr: “I’m pushing it hard. I agree.”
According to the committee, Donald Jr subsequently texted “again and again” to “urge action by the president”.
“We need an Oval (Office) address. He has to lead now. It has gone too far and gotten out of hand,” he said.
Congresswoman Liz Cheney, one of the nine-person committee’s two Republican members, also read out a series of texts from unnamed members of Congress.
“We are under siege up here at the Capitol,” wrote one such person.
“They have breached the Capitol,” said another.
“Mark, protesters are literally storming the Capitol. Breaking windows on doors. Rushing in. Is Trump going to say something?” asked a third.
“There’s an armed standoff at the House Chamber door,” said another.
“We are all helpless,” a fifth person wrote.
“POTUS has to come out firmly and tell (the) protesters to dissipate. Someone is going to get killed,” warned a sixth.
“Mark, he needs to stop this. Now,” said another.
“POTUS needs to calm this s*** down,” another person said.
And one, in all caps, simply said: “TELL THEM TO GO HOME.”
Ms Cheney argued the texts left “no doubt” that “the White House knew exactly what was happening at the Capitol”.
