Meadows Testimony in Georgia Case Reveals New Details on Trump’s Election Efforts, Sparking Frenzy

ATLANTA — In a dramatic courtroom reversal that has sent shockwaves through legal and political circles, a federal judge on Thursday ordered the partial unsealing of testimony from Mark Meadows, President Trump’s former chief of staff, in the long-running Georgia election interference case, exposing fresh details about the former president’s post-2020 election maneuvers and prompting wild speculation about potential arrests.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones came during a hearing on motions to dismiss remaining charges against Mr. Meadows and four other defendants, including President Trump, who faces racketeering and conspiracy counts under Georgia’s anti-corruption statute. Mr. Meadows, who has long sought to move his case to federal court, testified under oath for nearly four hours, offering a vivid account of the frenzied White House efforts to challenge the election results in Georgia and beyond. While Mr. Meadows maintained that his actions were official duties, legal experts said the disclosures could bolster prosecutors’ claims of a criminal enterprise.

“This isn’t just about one man’s memory,” Judge Jones said from the bench, his tone measured but firm. “It’s about the integrity of our electoral process. The public has a right to know what happened in those rooms.” The judge, who rejected Mr. Meadows’s federal removal bid in 2023 but revisited it amid new appeals, ordered the release of redacted transcripts by next week, citing “compelling public interest” in light of the case’s protracted delays.

Mr. Meadows’s testimony, portions of which leaked to reporters outside the Fulton County Courthouse, painted a chaotic picture of the lame-duck administration. He described a December 2020 Oval Office meeting where Mr. Trump, flanked by lawyers including Sidney Powell and Rudy J. Giuliani, pressed him to contact Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger about “finding” votes. “The president was insistent,” Mr. Meadows said, according to a partial transcript obtained by The Times. “He said, ‘Mark, get me those 11,780 votes — it’s simple math.’” Mr. Meadows added that he resisted, noting, “I told him it wasn’t my place to interfere in state affairs,” but acknowledged facilitating the now-infamous Jan. 2, 2021, phone call in which Mr. Trump urged Mr. Raffensperger to “find” the exact margin of his defeat.

The disclosures have ignited a firestorm. On X, #MeadowsExposesTrump surged to the top of global trends, with over 15 million posts in hours, many amplifying unverified claims of “devastating evidence” leading to Mr. Trump’s “immediate arrest.” Late-night hosts pounced: Jimmy Kimmel quipped on his show, “Meadows finally spilled — Trump’s not just above the law; he’s rewriting it with Sharpie.” Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, called for a special counsel review, tweeting, “This is the smoking gun we’ve waited for. Accountability can’t wait for 2028.”

Insiders close to the prosecution, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the testimony as a potential turning point. Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, whose case has weathered disqualification attempts and appeals, has long argued that Mr. Meadows’s actions — from organizing fake electors to pressuring state officials — formed the backbone of a racketeering conspiracy. “It’s not hyperbole to say this could lead to arrests,” one aide said. “The judge’s move signals the end of delays.” No arrest warrant for Mr. Trump has been issued, but sources said federal prosecutors in Washington, overseeing a parallel Jan. 6 case, are monitoring closely after a recent ruling by Judge Beryl A. Howell compelled similar testimony from Mr. Meadows.

Mr. Trump, campaigning in Georgia on Thursday, dismissed the proceedings as a “Democrat witch hunt” during a rally in Macon. “Meadows is a great patriot who’s being persecuted for doing his job,” he said, flanked by supporters chanting “Lock her up!” in reference to Ms. Willis. In a Truth Social post, he accused Judge Jones of bias, writing in all caps: “RIGGED COURT! MEADOWS TOLD THE TRUTH — NO CRIMES, ONLY SAVING DEMOCRACY FROM FRAUD!” His allies, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, echoed the sentiment, calling the unsealing “a deep-state ambush.”

The chaos extended to Mar-a-Lago, where aides reportedly scrambled to coordinate responses. Two Trump advisers, speaking anonymously, said the president spent the evening on the phone with Mr. Meadows, who remains a co-defendant despite cooperating selectively. “It’s pandemonium,” one said. “He’s furious, but this might force his hand on a plea.” Mr. Meadows’s lawyer, George Terwilliger, declined comment, but in court filings, he argued the testimony was “cherry-picked” to inflame public opinion.

The case, dormant since Mr. Trump’s 2024 victory, has new urgency amid his second term. Georgia’s appeals court recently upheld most charges against the defendants, and Ms. Willis has signaled readiness for trial as early as spring 2026. Legal scholars, like those at the Brennan Center for Justice, warn that the revelations could erode Mr. Trump’s immunity claims in related federal probes, especially after the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling limiting presidential protections.

For now, the unsealing promises more drama than resolution. As one prosecutor put it: “This isn’t courtroom chaos — it’s the unraveling of a presidency’s final chapter.” With midterms looming and Mr. Trump’s base rallying, the coming weeks could test the limits of accountability in a divided nation.