CHARLOTTE, N.C. — New text messages surfaced Monday, revealing U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman wanted former President Donald Trump to declare martial law to stop Joe Biden from becoming president in January 2021.
Jan. 6 Committee documents obtained by left-leaning Talking Points Memo show Norman, who represents South Carolina's 5th District in the U.S. House, tried texting former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in order to stop Biden from taking office just days before his inauguration.
"Mark, in seeing what's happening so quickly, and reading about the Dominion law suits [sic] attempting to stop any meaningful investigation we are at a point of no return in saving our Republic!!" one message reads. "Our LAST HOPE is invoking Marshall [sic] Law!! PLEASE URGE TO PRESIDENT TO DO SO!!"
Martial law is defined as " the temporary substitution of military authority for civilian rule and is usually invoked in time of war, rebellion, or natural disaster," according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
In a statement to WCNC Charlotte, Norman said the text message "came from a source of frustration" with the 2020 election. Many unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud have been debunked. Claims made against Dominion voting machines led to a $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News. An Associated Press review of every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states disputed by former President Donald Trump has found fewer than 475 instances — a number that would have made no difference in the 2020 presidential election.
"Obviously, Martial Law was never warranted," Rep. Norman's deputy chief of staff and communication director Austin Livingston told WCNC Charlotte. "That text message came from a source of frustration, on the heels of countless unanswered questions about the integrity of the 2020 election, without any way to slow down and examine those issues prior to the inauguration of the newly elected president."
Trump asserted his defeat was due to widespread fraud. There has been no evidence that widespread voter fraud occurred that would have altered the outcome of the 2020 election.
Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
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