Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, reportedly exchanged dozens of text messages with former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urging him to overturn the 2020 election in the weeks after the results, The Washington Post reported.
The 29 messages were among thousands that Meadows reported to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, according to the Post.
Here’s a look at some of the messages, as published by the Post, CBS News, and The New York Times.
Nov. 5, two days after the 2020 election
Thomas sent a link to a YouTube video that referenced Steve Pieczenik. Pieczenik is a former State Department official who has pushed conspiracy theories. The Post said the video is no longer available on YouTube.
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Thomas: “I hope this is true; never heard anything like this before, or even a hint of it. Possible???”
“Watermarked ballots in over 12 states have been part of a huge Trump & military white hat sting operation in 12 key battleground states.”
“Biden crime family & ballot fraud co-conspirators (elected officials, bureaucrats, social media censorship mongers, fake stream media reporters, etc) are being arrested & detained for ballot fraud right now & over coming days, & will be living in barges off GITMO to face military tribunals for sedition.” The Post reported that this passage had circulated on right-wing websites.
The Post reported that the messages received by the House committee don’t include a response from Meadows.
Nov. 6
Thomas: “Do not concede. It takes time for the army who is gathering for his back.”
The Post said it is unclear if Meadows responded.
On Nov. 7, news organizations declared President Biden the winner.
Nov. 10
Thomas: “Mark, I wanted to text you and tell you for days you are in my prayers!!”
“Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!!...You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America’s constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History.”
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Thomas added that Meadows should: “Listen to Rush. Mark Steyn, Bongino, Cleta.”
Meadows replied one minute later: “I will stand firm. We will fight until there is no fight left. Our country is too precious to give up on. Thanks for all you do.”
Thomas, nine minutes after Meadows’ message: “Tearing up and praying for you guys!!!!! So proud to know you!!”
Later that night: Thomas: “Van Jones spins interestingly, but shows us the balls being juggled too.”
“House and Senate guys are pathetic too... only 4 GOP House members seen out in street rallies with grassroots... Gohmert, Jordan, Gosar, and Roy.”
Later on Nov. 10
Thomas: “Where the heck are all those who benefited by Presidents coattails?!!!”
Thomas also told Meadows to watch a YouTube video about the power of never conceding, the Post reported.
Nov. 13
Thomas: “Just forwarded to yr gmail an email I sent Jared this am. Sidney Powell & improved coordination now will help the cavalry come and Fraud exposed and America saved.”
The messages provided to the House committee do not show a response by Meadows, the Post said.
Thomas: “Don’t let her and your assets be marginalized instead...help her be the lead and the face.”
Nov. 14
Thomas sent Meadows material she said was from Connie Hair, chief of staff to Republican Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas. The Post said it was unclear if Thomas was passing on a message from Hair or providing Hair’s perspective as guidance. The text appeared to quote Hair’s belief that “the most important thing you can realize right now is that there are no rules in war,” according to the Post.
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Thomas: “This war is psychological. PSYOP.”
Nov. 19
Thomas: “Mark (don’t want to wake you)… “Sounds like Sidney and her team are getting inundated with evidence of fraud. Make a plan. Release the Kraken and save us from the left taking America down.”
“Suggestion: You need to buck up your team on the inside, Mark. The lower level insiders are scared, fearful or sending out signals of hopelessness vs an awareness of the existential threat to America right now. You can buck them up, strengthen their spirits.”
“Monica Crowley may have a sense of this [from] her Nixon days.”
“You guys fold, the evil just moves fast down underneath you all. Lots of intensifying threats coming to ACB and others.” ACB is the initials of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Later on Nov. 19
Meadows: “Thanks so much.”
Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s lawyer, and other members of Trump’s legal team held a news conference on Nov. 19 at the Republican National Committee headquarters.
Thomas: “Tears are flowing at what Rudy is doing right now!!!!”
Meadows: “Glad to help.”
Thomas also sent the following message on Nov. 19, an apparent reference to Justice Thomas’s 1991 confirmation hearings:
Thomas: “The intense pressures you and our President are now experiencing are more intense than Anything Experienced (but I only felt a fraction of it in 1991).
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Nov. 22
Thomas: “Trying to understand the Sidney Powell distancing.”
Meadows: “She doesn’t have anything or at least she won’t share it if she does.”
Thomas: “Wow!”
Meadows did not respond, the Post reported.
Nov. 24
Thomas shared a video from the website Parler that appeared to refer to Glenn Beck, the conservative commentator, the Post said.
Thomas: “If you all cave to the elites, you have to know that many of your 73 million feel like what Glenn is expressing.”
“Me included. I think I am done with politics, and I don’t think I am alone, Mark.”
Meadows: “I don’t know what you mean by caving to the elites.”
Thomas: “I can’t see Americans swallowing the obvious fraud. Just going with one more thing with no frickin consequences... the whole coup and now this... we just cave to people wanting Biden to be anointed? Many of us can’t continue the GOP charade.”
Meadows and Thomas continued to text back and forth, according to the Post.
Meadows: “You’re preaching to the choir. Very demoralizing.”
The follow messages were also exchanged on Nov. 24, the Post reported.
Meadows: “This is a fight of good versus evil. Evil always looks like the victor until the King of Kings triumphs. Do not grow weary in well doing. The fight continues. I have staked my career on it. Well at least my time in DC on it.”
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Thomas: “Thank you!! Needed that! This plus a conversation with my best friend just now… I will try to keep holding on. America is worth it!”
The text messages that Meadows provided to the committee pause after Nov. 24, 2020, with an unexplained gap, the Post reported. The committee received one message from Thomas to Meadows on Jan. 10, 2021, four days after the Capitol insurrection. Thomas said she attended the “Stop the Steal” rally that took place before the mob broke into the Capitol.
Thomas: “We are living through what feels like the end of America. Most of us are disgusted with the VP and are in listening mode to see where to fight with our teams. Those who attacked the Capitol are not representative of our great teams of patriots for DJT!!”
“Amazing times. The end of Liberty.”
Amanda Kaufman can be reached at amanda.kaufman@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandakauf1.