Jason Miller’s ‘Antifa Narrative’ Capitol Insurrection Texts

On April 26 2022, a viral screenshot of a tweet purportedly showed the content of a text message in which Jason Miller, advisor to former United States President Donald Trump, suggested blaming anti-fascist protestors for the deadly Capitol insurrection on January 6 2021:

The screenshot showed an April 25 2022 tweet describing Miller and others “were inventing the ANTIFA narrative as the insurrection was playing out,” and its attached screenshot read:

Fact Check

Claim: The contents of a text message from White House advisor Jason Miller to Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino suggest that the administration should blame anti-fascist protestors, or "antifa," for the January 6 2021 Capitol insurrection.

Description: White House advisor Jason Miller suggested in a text message to Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino that the Trump administration should blame anti-fascist protestors, or ‘antifa,’ for the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021.

Rating:

Rating Explanation: The content of a text message sent by Jason Miller suggesting that antifa operators should be blamed for the Capitol Insurrection has been verified to be true based on the contents of the provided script.

Jason Miller to Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino

Call me crazy, but ideas for two tweets from POTUS: 1) Bad apples, likely ANTIFA or other crazed leftists, infiltrated today’s peaceful protest over the fraudulent vote count. Violence is never acceptable! MAGA supporters embrace our police and the rule of law and should leave the Capitol now! 2) The fake news media who encouraged this summer’s violent and radical riots are now trying to blame peaceful and innocent MAGA supporters for violent actions. This isn’t who we are! Our people should head home and let th criminals suffer the consequences!

Some context was necessary to understand the meaning and chronology of the quoted material — much of which has been buried under a firehose of falsehoods from disinformation purveyors and their enablers.

Mark Meadows is the former White House Chief of Staff, Dan Scavino is the former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for communications, and Jason Miller is a former Senior Advisor; all three were involved with the Trump administration in January 2021.

On April 26 2022, Miller published or retweeted several tweets calling for Trump’s Twitter presence to be reinstated:

On January 8 2021, Twitter permanently suspended Trump’s account, “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.”

Did Anyone Actually Try to Blame Antifa for the Capitol Insurrection?

Yes; repeatedly, loudly, and often.

A Texas newspaper, a Washington Examiner article (tweeted by Matt Gaetz and later deleted by the outlet), Sen. Josh Hawley, and a teacher all attempted to attribute the attack to antifa. Attempts to shift blame were so pervasive, they appeared in a parody song, “Antifa Hoedown”:

Why yes, I’m an evil left wing sheeple snowflake,
working for the deep state,
here to force your wives to get abortions,
and then leave you for transgender lesbians.

Yes, it was us, antifa that stormed the Capitol,
to make you all look bad,
so that we can take your guns, spread communism,
and blast Cardi B in your churches.

Why Were Texts from January 6 2021 in the News in April 2022?

On April 25 2022, CNN disclosed that it had received 2,319 text messages sent and received by Meadows during the period between Election Day 2020 and the Capitol insurrection on January 6 2021, later alluding to the message from Miller about “antifa”:

The vast trove of texts offers the most revealing picture to date of how Trump’s inner circle, supporters and Republican lawmakers worked behind the scenes to try to overturn the election results and then reacted to the violence that effort unleashed at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The logs, which Meadows selectively provided to the House committee investigating the January 6 attack, show how the former chief of staff was at the nexus of sprawling conspiracy theories baselessly claiming the election had been stolen. They also demonstrate how he played a key role in the attempts to stop Biden’s certification on January 6 [2021].

The never-before-seen texts include messages from Trump’s family — daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner and son Donald Trump Jr. — as well as White House and campaign officials, Cabinet members, Republican Party leaders, January 6 rally organizers, Rudy Giuliani, My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, Sean Hannity and other Fox hosts. There are also text exchanges with more than 40 current and former Republican members of Congress, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mo Brooks of Alabama and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia … The texts also show how Trump allies were quick to deflect responsibility for the January 6 attack. Shortly after pro-Trump rioters breached the Capitol, one of his top aides began crafting a counter-narrative.

Was Jason Miller’s “ANTIFA” Text Part of the Release?

Yes.

The screenshot appeared to originate in an April 25 2022 companion piece (“READ: Text messages Sean Hannity, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ivanka Trump and others sent to Mark Meadows”) published by CNN. It appeared among several other text messages between the parties described in the other article, all sent on January 6 2021.

Miller’s tweet was especially notable because it clearly articulated the “antifa” aspect was deliberately fabricated, and because several news organizations and lawmakers had immediately adopted the falsehoods in an attempt to divert blame:

Donald Trump Jr. to Mark Meadows

He’s got to condem this shit. Asap. The captiol police tweet is not enough.

Donald Trump Jr. to Mark Meadows

This his one you go to the mattresses on. They will try to fuck his entire legacy on this if it gets worse.

Reince Priebus to Mark Meadows

TELL THEM TO GO HOME !!!

Jason Miller to Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino

Call me crazy, but ideas for two tweets from POTUS: 1) Bad apples, likely ANTIFA or other crazed leftists, infiltrated today’s peaceful protest over the fraudulent vote count. Violence is never acceptable! MAGA supporters embrace our police and the rule of law and should leave the Capitol now! 2) The fake news media who encouraged this summer’s violent and radical riots are now trying to blame peaceful and innocent MAGA supporters for violent actions. This isn’t who we are! Our people should head home and let the criminals suffer the consequences!

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to Mark Meadows

Mark we don’t think these attackers are our people. We think they are Antifa. Dressed like Trump supporters.

Rep. Louie Gohmert to Mark Meadows

Cap Police told me last night they’d been warned that today there’d be a lot of Antifa dressed in red Trump shirts & hats & would likely get violent. Good that Trump denounces violence but could add & well demand justice for those who became violent & well get to the bottom of what group they’re with.

Summary

On April 26 2022, an Imgur account shared a screenshot of a purported January 6 2021 text from Miller to Scavino and Meadows, proposing that the Trump administration should falsely claim “ANTIFA or other crazed leftists, infiltrated today’s peaceful protest over the fraudulent vote count.” The image appeared to originate on a CNN article published on April 25 2022, which contained a transcribed timeline of tweets sent by various individuals on and around January 6 2021. Miller’s “ANTIFA” tweet was one of the ones quoted, and was sent on January 6 2021. It was real and unedited.