This was the interview that pissed off Trump 1:32
Washington (CNN)
Former White House Secretary General Mark Meadows and Fox's Sean Hannity exchanged more than 80 text messages between Election Day 2020 and Joe Biden's inauguration in January. 2021, communications showing the evolution of Hannity, who went from being a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump's election lies to being "fed up" with the "lunatics" harming Trump's cause in the days leading up to January 6 .
CNN obtained Meadows' 2,319 text messages, which he selectively provided in December to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on Capitol Hill.
Although records show Meadows communicating with multiple Fox personalities, as well as various journalists from other organizations, Hannity stands out with 82 messages.
The texts, which include dozens of recently revealed messages, offer a real-time look at how Hannity, a close friend of Trump's, was reacting to the election and its aftermath.
ANALYSIS |
Lies and Delusions Revealed in Former White House General Secretary Mark Meadows' Text Messages Poison Midterm Elections
Throughout the records, Hannity gives advice and asks for directions, blurring the lines between his Fox show, his radio show, and the Trump White House.
On the afternoon of Election Day, Hannity texted Meadows at 1:36 p.m. to ask about turnout in North Carolina.
Two hours later, Meadows responded: "It highlights that every vote matters. Get out and vote. On the radio."
"Yes, sir," Hannity replied.
"On it. Somewhere in particular where we need a push."
"Pennsylvania. NC AZ," Meadows wrote, adding: "Nevada."
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"I have it. Everywhere," Hannity said.
The text messages also show the two men debating Trump's strategy to challenge the election, complaining about Fox, and plotting about what to do after Trump is out of office, including whether to work together.
"You also have to spend at least half your time doing business with us," Hannity sent Meadows on Dec. 12.
"And I'm serious. Have you ever talked to Fox? I've been at war with them."
"I agree. We can make a powerful team," Meadows responded.
"I didn't speak to (Fox News CEO) Suzanne (Scott) because I've been busy with pardons, but I'll be sure to write to her. You are a true patriot and I am so proud of you. Your friendship means a lot to me."
"The feeling is mutual," Hannity replied.
Hannity did not respond to CNN requests for comment;
Neither did Meadows or his attorney.
A spokesman for the commission investigating Jan. 6 declined to comment.
ANALYSIS |
This is the most alarming thing in Mark Meadows' text messages
Fueling Fraud Conspiracies
Initially, after the November 2020 election, Hannity seemed to agree with Trump's false election claims.
On Nov. 29, he texted Meadows saying he had his team trying to prove voter fraud: "I have my team looking into the numbers. There is no way Biden is going to get these numbers. It's mathematically impossible. It's so Sad for this country that they can do this in 2020. We need a reveal, a video, something."
Meadows responded, "You're absolutely right. Working on a trailer."
"Ok. That would be great," Hannity replied.
But several weeks later, as Trump's team lost court challenges and wild claims by attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell failed to materialize into anything more than bogus conspiracy theories, Hannity's tone changed.
Sean Hannity looks on as President Donald Trump addresses a news conference following his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on February 28, 2019.
Hannity spoke with Meadows on Dec. 22, asking how she was doing.
"Fighting like crazy. I went to Cobb County to review the process. Very tough days, but I'll keep fighting," Meadows said, referring to the Trump team's objections to the Cobb County, Georgia vote.
Although Hannity did not appear to dispute Trump's false claims about the election itself, he expressed alarm at the tactics of some of those pushing Trump's case.
Hannity responded to Meadows: "You're fighting is okay. The lunatics are not okay. They are NOT helping him. I'm sick of those people."
By New Year's Eve, Hannity warned of the consequences if top White House lawyers resigned in protest.
Hannity also seemed to accept the fact that the election was over and that the president's best course of action was to go to Florida and deal with Biden from there.
"We cannot lose the entire White House Law Office. I do NOT see Jan. 6 happening as it is being told," Hannity said.
"After the 6th I should announce that he will lead the national effort to reform voting integrity. Go to Florida and watch Joe screw up every day. Stay committed. When you speak, people will listen."
Preparing an interview with Trump
Hannity's text messages to Meadows are of interest to the House select committee, which wrote to Hannity in January requesting an interview.
That month, the commission published some of Hannity's messages to Meadows showing concern about what would happen on January 6, 2021.
After the letter was sent, Hannity's attorney, Jay Sekulow, told CNN, "We are reviewing the commission's letter and will respond as appropriate."
The text messages provide evidence of what many White House and Fox sources claimed during the Trump era: that Hannity was acting as a "shadow general secretary" while also juggling TV and radio shows.
Trump frequently called into Hannity's show, and Hannity appeared onstage with the president during his final rally of the 2018 campaign.
Supporters of President Donald Trump watch a video featuring Fox host Sean Hannity before Trump's arrival at a campaign rally in Michigan on October 30, 2020.
While Hannity was fiercely loyal to Trump on-air, their relationship off-air was more complicated.
She sometimes complained about Trump's behavior and lamented that the president was hurting the Republican Party in general.
Hannity has said that he is not a journalist, and Fox does not hold him to traditional journalistic standards.
He is more akin to a Republican Party activist and cheerleader, like some of his network peers.
In addition to Hannity, Fox's Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson, Maria Bartiromo and Brian Kilmeade also sent messages to Meadows.
A Fox spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
CNN Gets Messages From Trump Allies Revealing Details About Capitol Insurrection
In a noteworthy text message, Bartiromo messaged Meadows on the morning of Nov. 29, less than an hour before he was set to conduct Trump's first interview since Election Day.
The message included the questions he planned to ask Trump.
"Hello, the public wants to know that he is going to fight this. They want to hear a path to victory and that he is in control," Bartiromo wrote at 9:21 a.m. "Q1 You have said MANY TIMES THAT THIS ELECTION IS RIGGED.. . And the facts are on your side. Let's start there. What are the facts? Explain what happened here. Then I'll delve into the fraud including the statistical impossibilities of Biden (Federalist) magic. Please make sure you don't He goes off on a tangent. We want to know that he is strong, that he is a fighter and that he will win. This is not about him anymore. It is about ????. I will ask him about big technology and the influence of the media in ejection. Towards the end I'll get to the Georgia runoff and then the shots."
At 10:12 a.m., Trump called Bartiromo's show, "Sunday Morning Futures."
His line of questioning mirrored much of what he laid out in the text message.
"Thank you for speaking with us in the first interview since Election Day," Bartiromo said.
"Mr. President, you have said many times that this election was rigged, that there was a lot of fraud. And the facts are on your side. Let's start there. Please review the facts. Characterize what happened."
The commission previously released texts from both Kilmeade and Ingraham expressing dismay at the attacks on Capitol Hill and their effect on Trump's legacy.
Tucker Carlson only appears in one exchange in Meadows' text logs, when she was trying to talk to him while preparing for his show on November 17.
"Sorry I didn't see you. I was writing the show. I think I figured it out but thanks," Carlson wrote.
The records also show that there were dozens of journalists from other organizations who exchanged text messages with Meadows during this period.
In contrast to Hannity's messages, these reporters were frequently seeking confirmation from the White House general secretary on breaking news or trying to get an interview with Trump.
Meadows received messages from journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Politico, Bloomberg, NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN, among others.
"I'm starting to feel depressed"
As the results came in on election night, Hannity asked Meadows to share a tweet about the early vote totals for North Carolina, a state that was crucial to Trump's re-election hopes.
"Will we hold?"
Hannity asked Meadows.
"We're still fine," Meadows replied.
A week later, Hannity checked back to see how Meadows was "holding up."
"I'm fine. Working tirelessly. We're going to fight and win," Meadows said.
"Do you really think it's possible?" Hannity replied.
"I'm starting to feel depressed. Too much disorganization. We need Jim at the front of communication. Someone who is credible."
"Arizona now only has 12,813 votes. There are still ballots left to count," Meadows responded.
"Very disorganized but I've been racking my brain yesterday and today. Don't let your heart be troubled my friend."
Fox's Sean Hannity
The text messages between Hannity and Meadows underscore the insular effects of the right-wing media echo chamber, where there was little to no accurate information on the election results.
In November and early December, Hannity's show frequently amplified Trump's election lies.
Guests like then-White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany made appearances almost every night to cast doubt on the election results and stoke support for doomed legal challenges.
"We'll follow the facts," Hannity said on his Dec. 2 show, a day after Trump's Attorney General William Barr declared there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
ANALYSIS |
Trump's big lie is changing the face of American politics
But in his texts with Meadows, Hannity sounded resigned to the fact that the election was over.
"The Texas case is very strong. It's still a Herculean escalation. Everybody knows it was stolen. Everybody," Hannity wrote on Dec. 8.
"I move between anger and sadness. What the f*** happened to our country Mark."
Meadows responded, "So upset to see what we allowed to happen."
"Honestly, we think alike. That's another discussion," Hannity replied.
"I've been at war with them all week"
The text messages also shed light on Hannity's tensions with Fox. The Trump-aligned channel angered the former president by declaring Arizona for Biden on election night.
On December 6, Meadows sent Hannity an article about then-Fox host Chris Wallace (who has since been hired by CNN), who interrupted Trump's Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar when he called Biden vice president instead of president-elect.
"Doing this to try to get an audience won't work in the long run and I doubt it's even a winning strategy in the short term," Meadows wrote.
Hannity responded with a swipe at Fox and a suggestion about what Meadows should do after leaving the White House: "I've been at war with them all week. We'll talk when I see you," Hannity wrote.
"Also, if this doesn't go our way, you, me and Jay will do 3 things together. 1. Lead legal strategies vs. Biden 2. Real estate deals in North Carolina 3. Other deals I discussed with Rudy. Thanks for helping."
Hannity expressed her frustrations again several days later, telling Meadows that she had made a campaign ad.
"Been yelling no ads since Labor Day," Hannity wrote on Dec. 8.
"I made my own and they never published it. I'm not pointing fingers at anyone. I'm frustrated."
In his book, "Frankly, We Did Win This Election," reporter Michael Bender reported that Hannity had scripted an ad for the Trump campaign, which he then paid Fox more than a million dollars to run.
But according to Bender, the ad only aired once.
When Bender's book was published last year, Hannity denied writing an ad for the Trump campaign.
On December 11, Meadows asked Hannity to send him the phone number of Suzanne Scott, the CEO of Fox News.
"I can call through the switchboard, but that makes it a bigger deal," Meadows said.
The next day, as Hannity was talking to Meadows about working at Fox, he also offered some very insightful insight into how he views Trump.
Hannity texted, "I am truly sorry for our friend. He has never had peaceful days. On the other side of this, he has exposed a very dark side of the swamp that is much worse than I ever imagined and I am not particularly optimistic about the future.
seats slip away
By mid-December, both Hannity and Meadows were concerned about the two Senate runoffs in Georgia that would decide control of the chamber in 2021. By then, Trump had begun his harsh attacks on Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp for certify the state's election in favor of Biden.
Hannity and Meadows also began making post-Trump administration plans, discussing how Trump could craft his 2024 candidacy and how Meadows could work against the Biden administration.
"These two Senate seats are slipping away. Kemp is a total idiot," Hannity wrote on Dec. 12.
Hannity argued that Trump should make the Senate race about him.
"He has to make this about him. I'll make a deal with you, if you (elect) 2 R's (representatives) to senate, I'll run again in 2024," Hannity wrote of Trump.
"Make it about him. 2 of the worst candidates I've ever seen."
"The seats are slipping away," Meadows replied.
"I agree that it has to give some hope for the future. Connect the future with these candidates."
Meadows continued: "Also. I think we created a group of administrative lawyers, with a communications arm that fights election laws in every state and fights Biden's actions every day, starting January 20. The ACLU filed over 400 lawsuits against the Trump administration. We need to do the same. I think I can raise about $10 million to hire a team to make sure the fight continues and pave the way for 2024."
"You can't mention the elections again. Never"
As January 6 approached, Hannity expressed concern about what was to come.
He texted Meadows on Jan. 5: "I'm very concerned about the next 48 hours. The pressure from Pence. The White House counsel is leaving."
On Jan. 6, after the Capitol was stormed by pro-Trump agitators, Hannity was among those who texted Meadows urging Trump to intervene.
"Can you make a statement? I saw the tweet. Ask people to peacefully leave the capital," Hannity texted Meadows at 3:31 p.m.
"I'm on it," Meadows replied.
Later that night, after Trump sent another tweet attacking Vice President Mike Pence, Hannity expressed concern to Meadows: "(What the hell) is up with the Vice President?"
Following Jan. 6, Hannity struck a somber note to Meadows as many Republicans sought to oust Trump from the party.
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell gave a speech on January 19 saying the mob was "provoked" by Trump, prompting Hannity to share the video with Meadows.
"Well this is the worst it could be," Hannity wrote.
Hannity spoke with Trump several days after January 6.
The call didn't go well, Hannity wrote in a group text to Meadows and Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.
Hannity said that he wanted Trump to never talk about the 2020 election again, but Trump was unwilling, and Hannity didn't seem to know what to do next.
"Guys we have a clear path to put this campaign behind us in 9 days. You can't bring up the election again. Ever," Hannity wrote.
"The call with him today wasn't good. And worse, I'm not sure what I have left to do or say, and I don't like not knowing if he really understands. Any ideas?"
Neither Meadows nor Jordan seemed to respond.
Assault on Capitol Donald Trump Mark Meadows