- Donald Trump Jr. texted Mark Meadows on January 6 to get his father to condemn the riot.
- "They will try to fuck his entire legacy on this if it gets worse," Trump Jr. texted Meadows, per a CNN report.
- The messages are in the possession of the January 6 committee.
As rioters broke into the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Donald Trump Jr. urgently texted then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to push his father to stop the violence, warning that the president's legacy was in jeopardy.
"This his [sic] one you go to the mattresses on. They will try to fuck his entire legacy on this if it gets worse," Trump Jr., President Donald Trump's eldest son, texted Meadows, according to CNN.
This previously unreported text is among thousands that Meadows has provided to the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot. CNN obtained over 2,300 messages Meadows exchanged with Trump officials, congressional lawmakers, and others from Election Day on November 3, 2020 to President Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021.
The new text also comes months after the January 6 committee revealed during a meeting in December that Trump Jr. sent another message to Meadows on the day of the insurrection, calling on Trump to denounce the violence.
"He's got to condem this shit. Asap. The captiol police tweet is not enough," Trump Jr. texted.
"I'm pushing it hard. I agree," Meadows replied.
A spokesperson for Trump Jr. declined to comment on Monday.
The January 6 committee has obtained troves of records, interviewed over 800 witnesses, and issued dozens of subpoenas as part of its months-long investigation.
Last Thursday, multiple news outlets reported that Trump Jr. plans to meet with the congressional panel. Other Trump family members who have spoken with the committee include Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, both of whom were senior advisors to Trump. Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump Jr.'s fiancé, has also met with the committee.
The panel is expected to hold public hearings starting in June. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a member of the congressional panel, said at a Georgetown University event last week that the upcoming hearings will "tell a story that will blow the roof off the House."