Flynn had suggested earlier this week that Trump could invoke martial law as part of his efforts to reverse the election he lost to President-elect Joe Biden – an idea that re-emerged at the meeting in the Oval Office, one of the people said. . It wasn’t clear whether Trump endorsed the idea, but others in the room pushed back forcefully and shot it.
White House aides attending the meeting, including White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Counsel Pat Cipollone, also strongly backed the suggestion that Powell be appointed as special counsel to investigate the voter fraud allegations that the Trump’s own administration (or, as seems more feasible, its hiring on the administration for some sort of investigative role). Powell has targeted her conspiracies against voting machines and has suggested the idea of having special counsel inspect the machines for defects.
Another idea that emerged at the meeting was an executive order that would allow the government access to voting machines for inspection.
One person described the meeting as “ugly,” as Powell and Flynn accused others of abandoning the president while attempting to reverse the election results.
“It was heated – people were really fighting it out in the Oval, really powerful,” said one of the sources.
One source described an escalating sense of concern among Trump’s aides, even those who have weathered his previous controversies, about the steps he might take when his tenure ends.
The memo, reviewed by CNN, refers to a letter Dominion sent to Powell this week demanding that she publicly retract her allegations and instructing campaign personnel not to alter, destroy, or delete relevant documents.
After the election, a serious internal rift has developed within Trump’s campaign, with tensions between the campaign’s general adviser Matt Morgan, who sent the memo Saturday, and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani. Although the campaign once distanced itself from Powell, Trump has urged other people to fight like her, according to several people familiar with his comments. He has asked for more people to present her arguments, which are often groundless and full of conspiracy theories, on television.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
Kaitlan Collins contributed to this report.