In text messages sent to Trump Administration Chief of Staff Mark Meadows by Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Congressman Chip Roy of Texas demonstrate initial support for the Trump campaign to challenge the results of the 2020 election only to back away after seeing what an uncontrollable shitshow it became by the January 6th certification in Congress, CNN reports.

Both Lee and Roy told Meadows they supported any legal and Constitutional manners to slow the declaration of a winner in the days following the November election, but as efforts became more legally tenuous and publicly slapstick, they backed away.

After texts sent in November encourage Trump to challenge the vote counts in battleground states, the texts in January change tone, becoming more ominous as Trump and his minions launched an effort to gather supporters in DC on January 6th to disrupt the Electoral College certification.

“If POTUS allows this to occur… we’re driving a stake in the heart of the federal republic…,” Roy texted Meadows on New Year’s Day 2021.

A lengthy text exchange with Meadows started on January 3rd with Lee expressing doubts about the plan Republican Senators like Ted Cruz (R-Quintana Roo) and Josh Hawley (Q-Missouri) had to upend the certification in the Senate:  “I have grave concerns with the way my friend Ted is going about this effort.”

“I don’t think the president is grasping the distinction between what we can do and what he would like us to do,” Lee said in a later message.  “Nor do I think he’s grasping the distinction between what certain members are saying that sound like they could help him, but would really hurt him. He’s got a very real opportunity for a win in 2024. That opportunity could be harmed in multiple ways this effort.”

Neither Lee nor Roy challenged the certification of the Electoral College on January 6th, but both have remained supporters of Trump.  In a January 4th exchange, Lee expressed dismay at a Trump attack on him for supporting the Constitutional transition of power:

Meadows to Lee:  Apparently, he [Trump] was told that you came out with a letter against the electoral objections. I told him that you were being very helpful. Bad intel

Lee to Meadows:  I’ve been spending 14 hours a day for the last week trying to unravel this for him. To have him take a shot at me like that in such a public setting without even asking me about it is pretty discouraging.

Of course, no one could control Trump, as Roy’s messages to Meadows on January 6th reflect:

This is a sh*tshow

Fix this now.

Meadows responded:  “We are[.]”