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President Trump, isolated and watching his White House countdown, spent part of it on Friday with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who brought some notes with him.
In photographs taken by Jabin Botsford, a photographer for the Washington Post, Mr Lindell held notes in his hand as he stood outside the west wing lobby door before meeting with the president mid-post – midday Friday. The notes included a mention of Sidney Powell, the lawyer and conspiracy theorist that Mr. Trump at one point wanted to offer a job in the White House.
They were only partially visible, but there was also a suggestion to invoke the Insurgency Law, whereby a president can deploy active military troops in the streets, and “martial law if necessary”. One line seemed to suggest moving Kash Patel, currently Defense Department chief of staff and Trump loyalist, as “acting CIA,” which seemed to indicate the top position.
White House press officers were taken aback by the photos as they circulated on Twitter, and said they had no idea what had happened. Mr. Lindell did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Mr. Lindell was one of the few supporters of Mr. Trump in American society to stay with him after the Trump supporters riot at the Capitol complex on January 6, which left five people dead and included chants calling on the death of Vice President Mike Pence. Mr Lindell appeared on Newsmax, the conservative cable network, on the day of the riot and pushed for the now-denied claim that “antifa” protesters posed as Trump supporters in order to cause damage.
And even after President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory was certified, Mr. Lindell continued to insist that Mr. Trump be put in for a second term next week.
No movement was made to fire Gina Haspel, the director of the CIA, on Friday or for Mr. Patel to arrive at the CIA headquarters to take over, according to people familiar with the matter. And Washington has already become a militarized fortress before Mr. Biden’s inauguration, in order to quell threats of further violence planned for the day of the ceremony.
But Mr Lindell’s ability to walk into the Oval Office and meet with Mr Trump has highlighted the type of conspiracy theorists who always appeal to Mr Trump, as long as they say what he wants to hear. It is not known if Mr. Lindell wrote the notes or if he was conveying someone else’s thoughts.
Mr Trump has at times viewed Ms Powell as too conspiratorial, as she has touted lies about a global conspiracy to rig the 2020 election. At other times, he has praised her contribution.
Right-wing journalists resumed their demands for declassification and publication of documents related to the 2016 election, including documents created by Republicans in the House Intelligence Committee, where Mr Patel previously worked.
Ms Haspel objected to the publication of these documents. However, Mr. Trump and John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence, have the power to declassify the documents, and the White House would not need to force Ms. Haspel to release the documents.
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