Jules Witcover

WASHINGTON — There’s a crack in the wall of Trumpian resistance to House demands that defenders of the former president come clean on their involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

The House on Tuesday voted to hold Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. The committee issued a 51-page report saying it has documents in which Meadows is quoted saying the National Guard would be present to “protect pro-Trump people” on the day of the attack.

Another bombshell in the report was the revelation of frantic text messages from Trump allies at the Fox News Channel and even from the president’s namesake son — sent as rioters rampaged in the Capitol — imploring Trump, through Meadows, to disavow the lawless conduct and ask the rioters to leave peacefully.

“Condemn this sh– ASAP,” a panicked Donald Trump Jr. wrote to Meadows. “The Capitol Police tweet is not enough.” Meadows replied: “I’m pushing it hard. I agree,” to which Trump Jr. added: “We need an Oval Office address. He has to lead now. It has gone too far. And gotten out of hand.”

Fox News personalities likewise weighed in. Fox host Sean Hannity asked Meadows: “Can he make a statement? Ask people to leave the Capitol.” Host Laura Ingraham told him: “Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy.” Still another, Brian Kilmeade. pleaded: ‘Please get him on TV. Destroying everything you have accomplished.”

These texts appear to bolster the suspicion that Trump and his inner circle were well aware of the gravity of the attack on the Capitol and yet were unwilling to act to quell it.

“Mr. Meadows’ testimony will bear on (a) key question before this committee: Did Donald Trump, through action or inaction, corruptly seek to obstruct or impede Congress’ official proceeding to count electoral votes?” Cheney said. “Mark Meadows’ testimony is necessary to inform our legislative judgments.”

One of Trump’s loudest and most consistent Democratic critics, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, asked: “How did Meadows react to these cries for help? Whom did he tell? What did he do?”

Hours after the attack began, President Trump finally recorded a message to the attackers in which he asserted: “This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home, and go home in peace.”

Such is peace-keeping in the self-absorbed world of Donald Trump.

The chair of the House select committee, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, said of Meadows and supporters: “History will not look upon you as a victim. History will not dwell on your long list of privilege claims or your legal sleight of hand. History will record that in a moment in our democracy, most people were on the side of finding the truth, of providing accountability, of strengthening our system for future generations. And history will also record, in this critical moment, that some people were not.”

Contempt of Congress as a criminal offense can bring up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Loyalty to Donald Trump, however, may weigh just as heavily in political terms on the minds if not the consciences of his faithful now under subpoenas.

Jules Witcover’s latest book is “The American Vice Presidency: From Irrelevance to Power,” published by Smithsonian Books. You can respond to this column at juleswitcovercomcast.net.