Cipollone: Yes, it would have been possible.[481]
At 2:13 p.m., rioters broke into the Capitol and flooded the building.[482]
As the violence began to escalate, many Trump supporters and others outside the White House began urgently seeking his intervention. Mark Meadows's phone was flooded with text messages. These are just some of them:
2:32 p.m. from Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham: "Hey Mark, The president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home."[483]
2:35 p.m. from Mick Mulvaney: "Mark: he needs to stop this, now. Can I do anything to help?"[484]
2:46 p.m. from Rep. William Timmons (R–SC): "The president needs to stop this ASAP"[485]
2:53 p.m. from Donald Trump, Jr.: "He's got to condem [sic] this shit. Asap. The captiol [sic] police tweet is not enough."[486]
3:04 p.m. from Rep. Jeff Duncan (R–SC): "POTUS needs to calm this shit down"[487]
3:09 p.m. from former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus: "TELL THEM TO GO HOME !!!"[488]
3:13 p.m. from Alyssa Farah Griffin: "Potus has to come out firmly and tell protestors to dissipate. Someone is going to get killed."[489]
3:15 p.m. from Rep. Chip Roy (R–TX): "Fix this now."[490]
3:31 p.m. from Fox News anchor Sean Hannity: "Can he make a statement. I saw the tweet. Ask people to peacefully leave the capital [sic]"[491]
3:58 p.m. from Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade: "Please get him on tv. Destroying every thing you guys have accomplished"[492]
Others on Capitol Hill appeared in the media, or otherwise appeared via internet. Representative Mike Gallagher (R–WI) issued a video appealing directly to the President:
Mr. President, you have got to stop this. You are the only person who can call this off. Call it off. The election is over. Call it off![493]
Some Members of Congress sent texts to President Trump's immediate staff or took to Twitter, where they knew the President spent time:
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R–LA) issued a tweet: @realDonaldTrump please appear on TV, condemn the violence and tell people to disband.[494]
