Trump indictment talk puts spotlight on frayed Meadows relationship
by Alex Gangitano - 06/08/23 5:50 PM ET
One of former President Trump’s most loyal allies has found himself in the awkward spot of potentially turning his back on his former boss – culminating a complicated relationship that dates back to Trump’s early days in the White House.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, a key ally to Trump in Congress turned top operative in the White House, reportedly talked to a grand jury as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the former president’s handling of classified documents.
It marks the latest iteration in the political relationship between Trump and the North Carolina Republican, who some say got himself in situations where he bit off more than he could chew.
“I think Mark was always in over his head from the Freedom Caucus to the White House. Way too big for his britches,” said a former senior Trump campaign staffer. “[The Department of Justice] doesn’t usually like people with that attitude so not surprised if they went after him. But also, not surprised he’d take a plea deal to avoid prison.”
“Now he’s just another body on the Trump trail,” the source added.
Meadows was the chief of staff during some of the most tumultuous of Trump times particularly during efforts to overturn the 2020 election and on Jan. 6 when a mob of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, both of which are part of Smith’s investigation.
Some of the most damning testimony before the committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot involved Meadows, whose image took a beating when a former aide detailed that the former congressman spent moments leading up to the violence scrolling on his phone and declining to intervene in key moments. While Meadows’ role in Jan. 6 has been documented by others, he refused to testify before the panel.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4041421-trump-indictment-talk-puts-spotlight-on-frayed-meadows-relationship/
