President Pence had been sitting 90 minutes earlier.[249] Other images showed Members of Congress trapped in the House gallery, crouching below the balcony for cover.[250]
Allies continued to text Meadows, begging the President to order the mob to go home and indicating that it was time the American people hear from the President directly:
Unknown, 3:04 p.m.: "Are you with potus right now? Hearing he is in the dining room watching this on TV …" "Is he going to say anything to de-escalate apart from that Tweet?"[251]
Reince Priebus, 3:09 p.m.: "TELL THEM TO GO HOME !!!"[252]
Unknown, 3:13 p.m.: "POTUS should go on air and defuse this. Extremely important."[253]
Alyssa Farah, 3:13 p.m.: "Potus has to come out firmly and tell protestors to dissipate. Someone is going to get killed …"[254]
Representative Chip Roy, 3:25 p.m.: "Fix this now."[255] Meadows responded: "We are." [256]
Sean Hannity (Fox News), 3:31 p.m.: "Can he make a statement. I saw the tweet. Ask people to peacefully leave the capital [sic]."[257] Meadows responded: "On it."[258]
Katrina Pierson, 3:40 p.m.: "Note: I was able to keep the crazies off the stage. I stripped all branding of those nutty groups and removed videos of all of the psychos. Glad it [sic] fought it."[259]
Unknown, 3:42 p.m.: "Pls have POTUS call this off at the Capitol. Urge rioters to disperse. I pray to you."[260]
Unknown, 3:57 p.m.: "Is he coming out?" "He has to right?"[261]
Brian Kilmeade, 3:58 p.m. (Fox News): "Please get him on tv. Destroying every thing you guys have accomplished."[262]
Donald Trump, Jr., 4:05 p.m.: "We need an oval address. He has to lead now. It's gone too far and gotten out of hand."[263]
At any moment in the afternoon, it would have been easy for President Trump to get before cameras and call off the attack. The White House Press Briefing Room is just down the hallway from the Oval Office, past the Cabinet Room and around the corner to the right. It would have taken less than 60 seconds for the President to get there.[264] The space, moreover, is outfitted with cameras that are constantly "hot," meaning that they are on and ready to go live at a moment's notice.[265] The White House press corps is
