What Fox News presenters said in private vs. what Fox News presenters said on camera about the Capitol riots.
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00:00Multiple Fox News hosts knew the president needed to act immediately.
00:07They texted Mr. Meadows, and he has turned over those texts.
00:12Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home.
00:17This is hurting all of us.
00:19He is destroying his legacy, Laura Ingram wrote.
00:23There were likely not all Trump supporters, and there are some reports that Antifa sympathizers
00:28may have been sprinkled throughout the crowd.
00:31Can he make a statement, ask people to leave the Capitol, Sean Hannity urged.
00:37It was a massive, peaceful protest in support of President Trump.
00:41You had hundreds and hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic, law-abiding Americans.
00:46Please get him on TV, destroying everything you have accomplished, Brian Kilmeade texted.
00:54I do not know Trump supporters that have ever demonstrated violence that I know of
00:59in a big situation.
01:00He's got to condemn this s**t ASAP.
01:04The Capitol Police tweet is not enough, Donald Trump Jr. texted.
01:10Meadows responded, quote, I'm pushing it hard, I agree.
01:15Whatever my father said on January 6th was mild in comparison.
01:20You would see absolutely no deviation.
01:23Still, President Trump did not immediately act.
01:28Donald Trump Jr. texted again and again, urging action by the president, quote, we need an
01:37Oval Office address.
01:39He has to lead now.
01:41It has gone too far and gotten out of hand.
01:54Members of Congress, the press, and others wrote to Mark Meadows as the attack was underway.
02:02One text Mr. Meadows received said, quote, we are under siege here at the Capitol.
02:08Another, quote, they have breached the Capitol.
02:13In a third, Mark, protesters are literally storming the Capitol, breaking windows on
02:21doors, rushing in.
02:23Is Trump going to say something?
02:27A fourth, there's an armed standoff at the House chamber door.
02:33And another, from someone inside the Capitol, we are all helpless.
02:39Dozens of texts, including from Trump administration officials, urged immediate action by the president.
02:47Quote, POTUS has to come out firmly and tell the protesters to dissipate.
02:54Someone is going to get killed.
02:56In another, Mark, he needs to stop this now.
03:01A third, in all caps, tell them to go home.
03:07A fourth, and I quote, POTUS needs to calm this shit down.
03:14These non-privileged texts are further evidence of President Trump's supreme dereliction of
03:21duty during those 187 minutes.
03:24Well, it's disappointing and unfortunately not surprising that some of the very same
03:29individuals who are willing to warn, condemn, and express horror over what happened on January
03:346th, in private, were totally silent in public.
03:39Or even worse, were spreading lies and conspiracy theories and continue to since that time.