Stewart Rhodes wrote message to Trump after Jan. 6 calling on him to 'save the Republic,' arrest members of Congress - NBC News

WASHINGTON — Oath Keepers laminitis Stewart Rhodes wrote a connection intended for erstwhile President Donald Trump successful the days aft the Jan. 6 onslaught connected the U.S. Capitol, calling upon Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act to enactment successful powerfulness and apprehension members of Congress.

“If you don’t past Biden/Kamala volition crook each that powerfulness connected you, your family, and each of us. You and your household volition beryllium imprisoned and killed,” Rhodes wrote successful a connection presented successful tribunal connected Wednesday. “You and your children volition dice successful prison.”

The message, which besides called for Trump to person members of Congress and authorities legislators arrested, was not delivered to the then-president.

Jason Alpers, a authorities witnesser successful the Oath Keepers seditious conspiracy trial, testified astir the connection connected Wednesday. Alpers said helium had a signaling instrumentality successful his pouch that was disguised arsenic a thumb thrust erstwhile helium met with Rhodes connected Jan. 10, 2021, conscionable a fewer days aft the Jan. 6 attack. Alpers said helium purchased the signaling instrumentality connected his ain and had antecedently utilized it. Alpers testified that helium was not moving connected behalf of a national instrumentality enforcement bureau erstwhile helium made the recording.

The gathering took spot successful a parking batch of an electronics store successful Texas. In the audio, Rhodes tin beryllium heard asking others astatine the gathering to "get escaped of your phones," and Alpers testified that everyone enactment their phones successful a car to marque the gathering much secure.

Alpers, the proprietor of a bundle improvement institution and a erstwhile peculiar operations relation who deployed overseas, said helium started communicating with the FBI months aft the onslaught connected the Capitol and his gathering with Rhodes. Alpers testified connected the basal that helium had connections to Trump's interior ellipse and said helium could get a connection to Trump "indirectly."

When helium met with Rhodes connected Jan. 10, helium had Rhodes benignant a connection intended for Trump connected his phone. Alpers yet did not nonstop the messages to Trump oregon immoderate of Trump’s associates, helium testified.

“You indispensable bash arsenic Lincoln did," Rhodes wrote successful the message. "He arrested congressmen, authorities legislators, and issued a warrant for SCOTUS Chief Justice Taney. Take bid similar Washington would. ... Go down successful past arsenic the savior of the Republic, not a antheral who surrendered it."

“I americium present for you and truthful are each my men. We volition travel assistance you if you request us. Military and police. And truthful volition your millions of supporters," Rhodes wrote.

Alpers said helium disagreed with the way Rhodes was laying out, truthful helium did not nonstop the messages.

“It would person wrapped maine into agreeing with that ideology successful immoderate way, which I did not,” Alpers said. “I didn’t privation to get involved."

Rhodes and 4 different Oath Keepers — Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell — are presently connected proceedings for seditious conspiracy for their actions connected Jan. 6. The Justice Department alleges that Rhodes and members of his organization plotted to reason the peaceful transportation of powerfulness and stockpiled guns successful “quick absorption forces” conscionable extracurricular of D.C. that could beryllium brought into the metropolis astatine a moment’s notice. Other members of the alleged conspiracy volition spell connected proceedings successful November.

Prosecutors connected Wednesday besides played immoderate recordings of Rhodes that Alpers captured, including audio of the Oath Keepers laminitis talking astir civilian warfare successful the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack.

“Fight’s coming, I’m not f---ing surviving connected my knees, nary f---ing way. … We’re conscionable the extremity of the iceberg. There’s millions of others that consciousness the aforesaid mode astir this s--- that we do," Rhodes said successful a recording.

“How’s helium privation to spell down successful history? He’ll spell down successful past arsenic the top president since George Washington if helium does the close thing," Rhodes continued.

Members of the Oath Keepers astatine the Capitol successful Washington, D.C. connected Jan. 6, 2021.Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP file

Rhodes said successful the signaling that his "only regret" astir Jan. 6 was that they didn't bring firearms with them.

“We should person brought rifles. We could person fixed it close past and there. I’d bent f---in’ Pelosi from the lamppost," Rhodes said.

Oath Keepers wide counsel Kellye SoRelle antecedently told NBC News that Rhodes was asking her for her Trump-world contacts successful the weeks starring up to the Jan. 6 attack. As NBC News has previously reported, SoRelle was successful interaction with Andrew Giuliani, a Trump White House authoritative and the lad of Rudy Giuliani, aft the Nov. 2020 election. SoRelle, who had a narration with Rhodes, was charged successful transportation with the Jan. 6 onslaught successful September and pleaded not guilty.

The authorities indicated connected Wednesday that prosecutors would contiguous 2 much witnesses, some FBI peculiar agents, earlier resting their case.

Oath Keepers members Joshua James, Brian Ulrich and William Todd Wilson all pleaded blameworthy to seditious conspiracy. Several different Oath Keepers person pleaded blameworthy to different charges, including 2 Oath Keepers — Jason Dolan and Graydon Young — who testified successful the trial. Dolan testified that helium was prepared to dice to support Trump successful office. While Young testified that helium was "acting similar a traitor" connected Jan. 6, Dolan testified that helium was hoping to scare members of Congress.

“I wanted them to beryllium acrophobic of me,” Dolan antecedently testified. “If they weren’t going to, successful my perspective, bash the close thing, possibly they could beryllium frightened into doing the close thing."