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Hi.
Welcome to "Full Frontal."
I'm Samantha Bee.
Today we're going to talk about text messages.
No, not the nice kind, like when someone sends you
friendly emojis reminding you to always wash
your fruits and vegetables.
Instead, we're talking about the, hey, let's destroy
our democracy, type of texts.
Well, in exclusive new reporting
this morning, CNN has obtained more than 2,000 text messages
from former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows that
revealed just how far former President
Trump's inner circle tried to go to overturn the 2020 election.
As of right now, Mark Meadows has turned over 2,319 text
messages to the January 6 committee--
more than 2,000 text messages.
This proves definitively that Mark Meadows
is a gossipy little bitch.
Some of the most damning texts came on election day,
like when Fox News host Sean Hannity
promised Meadows he would push his listeners
to get Trump elected.
When Meadows instructed Hannity to "stress every vote matters"
and tell his listeners to "get out and vote,"
Hannity replied, "yes, sir.
On it."
You know, it's actually kind of nice to know that inside
Sean Hannity's soft, weak exterior rests an even softer,
weaker man.
In the days after the election, Mark Meadows phone
kept blowing up in a group text that included villains
such as Ivanka Trump, Hope Hicks, Jared
Kushner, and Jason Miller.
In other words, they were basically only missing
Jafar and Ursula the sea witch.
At the time, Ivanka tried to boost the team's morale
for ending democracy by texting, "you are all warriors of epic
proportions!
Keep the faith and the fight!"
And then everyone else started a new group
text to make fun of her for it.
Trump's former Energy Secretary Rick Perry
also got in on the action, telling Meadows
that they have data to prove where the fraud was committed,
which would be easier to believe if Rick Perry's
most famous moment wasn't this.
It's three agencies of government when
I get there that are gone--
commerce, education, and the, uh, what's the third one there?
Let's see.
You can't name the third one?
The third agency of government I
would do away with-- let's see.
MAN: Oh, my.
I can't.
The third one I can't. Sorry.
[LAUGHTER]
Oops.
Back in December, Rick Perry's team
denied that he texted Mark Meadows to advocate
overturning the election.
However, Rick Perry forgot to cover his digital tracks in one
very complicated way.
These texts on the Meadows log show
that he signed his name and his telephone number
at the end of the text.
He also sent what he calls a Rick pic, which is just
a GIF of him doing finger guns.
But while a couple of these mangled toys from "Toy Story"
actually believed the big lie, others
went through with the scheme even though they
knew it was bullshit.
REPORTER: One text message from Trump political aide Jason
Miller sent several days after Biden was declared the winner
flagged Meadows, quote, "not much there on Dem/Soros
conspiracy connections.
REPORTER 2: Jared Kushner texted Meadows showing that Trump's
claims that election workers in Georgia had suitcases
stuffed with ballots was a lie.
Which was extra confusing because Jared Kushner also
signs his texts with "Rick Perry."
Meanwhile, Senator Mike Lee of Utah and representative Chip
Roy of Texas offered to help Meadows in the weeks
following the election.
And by "help" I mean they had zero idea what to do.
Lee actually begged Trump to send him proof of fraud
and became increasingly worried there wasn't any way
to overturn the election.
For example, on November 20, Lee texted Meadows, "please
give us something to work with.
I just need to know what I should be saying,"
followed two days later by "please tell me what I should
be saying," at which point one of Lee's honest friends
took him aside and said, babe, he's just not that into you.
But despite mounting worries, a total lack of fraud evidence,
and a warning about potential violence
on January 6, Meadows and company
went full speed ahead anyway.
Of course, when it did turn violent,
it wasn't enough for true believers like Marjorie Taylor
Greene, who texted Meadows days later to suggest they
stop Biden from taking office by having
Trump declare martial law.
And if you're thinking, that's not
how you spell "martial law," you are very correct.
Marshall's law, as everyone knows,
is that no one should pay retail prices for quality yoga pants.
It's also hard to paint the whole picture when we
don't have the whole picture.
There are still more than 1,000 texts
Meadows refuses to hand over.
Damn!
Mark Meadows, you are messy.
Delete my number.
If there's one thing these texts prove
it's that it doesn't matter to Republicans
if they know for a fact that Joe Biden won the election.
What matters is these human bumper
stickers are more than willing to use lies and a violent base
to both take and keep power.
The January 6 committee and the Justice Department
need to hold them accountable or this will happen again.
Or, if we're lucky, Marshall's law will happen.
Yoga pants for all.
We'll be right back.
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