Former President Donald Trump quickly reacted to reports that his once White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had been granted immunity in the federal 2020 election case against him.
In a pair of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump questioned whether Meadows had turned on him after reportedly being granted immunity by special counsel Jack Smith in exchange for his testimony in the case. The former North Carolina congressman reportedly spoke with Smith’s team “at least three times this year, including once before a federal grand jury,” according to ABC News.
“The sources said Meadows informed Smith’s team that he repeatedly told Trump in the weeks after the 2020 presidential election that the allegations of significant voting fraud coming to them were baseless, a striking break from Trump’s prolific rhetoric regarding the election,” ABC News reported. “According to the sources, Meadows also told the federal investigators Trump was being ‘dishonest’ with the public when he first claimed to have won the election only hours after polls closed on Nov. 3, 2020, before final results were in.”
“Obviously we didn’t win,” Meadows allegedly had told Smith’s team, according to a source.
However, questions were already being raised about the ABC News report.
“I told ABC that their story was largely inaccurate. People will have to judge for themselves the decision to run it anyway,” Meadows’ lawyer told CBS News, according to CBS News correspondent Catherine Herridge.
NEW: “I told ABC that their story was largely inaccurate. People will have to judge for themselves the decision to run it anyway.” George Terwilliger, Mark Meadows lawyer, to CBS News, responding to new reporting “Ex-Chief of Staff granted immunity, tells special counsel he…
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) October 24, 2023
Trump also had some thoughts about the issue, taking to his social media platform to note, “I don’t think Mark Meadows would lie about the Rigged and Stollen [sic] 2020 Presidential Election merely for getting IMMUNITY against Prosecution (PERSECUTION!) by Deranged Prosecutor, Jack Smith.”
“BUT, when you really think about it, after being hounded like a dog for three years, told you’ll be going to jail for the rest of your life, your money and your family will be forever gone, and we’re not at all interested in exposing those that did the RIGGING — If you say BAD THINGS about that terrible ‘MONSTER,’ DONALD J. TRUMP, we won’t put you in prison, you can keep your family and your wealth, and, perhaps, if you can make up some really horrible ‘STUFF’ a[b]out him, we may very well erect a statue of you in the middle of our decaying and now very violent Capital, Washington, D.C,” he added.
I don’t think Mark Meadows would lie about the Rigged and Stollen 2020 Presidential Election merely for getting IMMUNITY against Prosecution (PERSECUTION!) by Deranged Prosecutor, Jack Smith. BUT, when you really think about it, after being hounded like a dog for three years,…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) October 25, 2023
“Some people would make that deal, but they are weaklings and cowards, and so bad for the future [of] our Failing Nation. I don’t think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows? MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” Trump wrote.
The former president quickly followed up with another post, saying “Mark Meadows NEVER told me that allegations of significant fraud (about the RIGGED Election!) were baseless. He certainly didn’t say that in his book!”
I guess Trump just heard Meadows flipped. pic.twitter.com/cP803zrwsu
— Jeffrey Levy 🇮🇱 🇮🇱 🇮🇱 🌊 🌊 🌊 (@jeffreymlevy) October 25, 2023
Although Meadows has not been charged by Smith, he is facing charges along with his former boss and 17 others in Georgia for alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in that state.