Mark Meadows

Meadows's mother was from Sevierville, Tennessee, and his father from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He was born at a United States Army hospital in Verdun, France, where his father was serving in the Army and his mother worked as a civilian nurse.{{cite web | url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/who-is-rep-mark-meadows-120757 | title=Who is Rep. Mark Meadows? | website=Politico | date=July 28, 2015 }}

Meadows grew up in Brandon, Florida.{{cite web |url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/12/18/as-trump-mulled-chief-of-staff-pick-u-s-rep-mark-meadowss-usf-degree-was-fixed-on-wikipedia/ |title=U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows's degree fixed on Wikipedia |work=Tampa Bay Times |author=Steve Contorno |date=December 18, 2018 |access-date=December 18, 2018}} He has said he was a "fat nerd" who went on a diet after a classmate rejected him for a date. Meadows attended Florida State University for one year in 1977–78. It was reported that Meadows held a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida for many years in his official biography maintained by the Office of the Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives. In actuality, he graduated from the University of South Florida with an Associate of Arts.

In 1987, Meadows started "Aunt D's", a small restaurant in Highlands, North Carolina, with building space provided by members of the Community Bible Church in Highlands. He later sold the sandwich shop, and used the proceeds to start a real estate development company in the Tampa, Florida, area where he resided until 2013, after he won the NC-11 Congressional district.{{cite news |last=Parker |first=Brittney |date=October 18, 2012 |title=Candidate Profiles Continue as Election Looms: 11th Congressional District Seat; Mark Meadows |url=http://www.maconnews.com/news/3796-candidate-profiles-continue-as-election-looms |newspaper=Macon County News |location=Franklin, NC |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623051246/http://www.maconnews.com/news/3796-candidate-profiles-continue-as-election-looms |archive-date=June 23, 2015 }} After a stint working in a local hardware store, Meadows received support from Ginger Burnett Glasson: she provided a tract of land for a house; a joint business operating as Randall Burnett Investments, and work at a pizzeria she bought "to have something to do during the day and to help [Meadows] out."{{Cite news |last=Draper |first=Robert |date=2024-02-11 |title=The Talented Mr. Meadows: How Mark Meadows Became the Least Trusted Man in Washington |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/magazine/mark-meadows-trump-prosecution.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |work=The New York Times Magazine |pages=26–33, 46 |language=en-US |volume=173 |issn=0362-4331}}

While living in Highlands, Meadows served as chairman of the Republican Party in Macon County, and was a delegate to several state and national Republican conventions.{{cite news |date=November 7, 2012 |title=Election 2012: Winner U.S. Representative NC-11; Mark Meadows |url=http://projects.wsj.com/campaign2012/candidates/view/mark-meadows--NC-H |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |location=New York, NY}} Meadows was on North Carolina's Board for Economic Development in Western North Carolina.{{cite news |date=February 12, 2012 |title=Meadows Officially Enters Race for Shuler's Seat |url=http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20120216/articles/120219824 |newspaper=BlueRidgeNow.com |location=Hendersonville, NC}}

In 2011, he moved to Glenville, North Carolina. In 2016, he sold his house and moved into an apartment in Biltmore Park, a mixed-use community in Asheville, North Carolina, while deciding where to buy next in either Henderson or Buncombe counties.{{Cite news|url=http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2017/04/01/mark-meadows-has-taken-chances-rapid-rise-power/99865648/|title=Mark Meadows has taken chances in rapid rise to power|work=Citizen Times|access-date=October 13, 2017|language=en}} He is the owner of Highlands Properties, which specializes in construction and land development.{{cite news |last=Bowling |first=Caitlin |date=October 31, 2012 |title=Meadows Touts Rise as Self-Made Businessman |url=http://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/9204-meadows-touts-rise-as-self-made-businessman |newspaper=Smoky Mountain News |location=Waynesville, NC}} In 2014, Meadows sold {{convert|134|acre|abbr=off|lk=on}} of land in Dinosaur, Colorado, to a young earth creationist group. He appeared in the controversial creationist film Raising the Allosaur: The True Story of a Rare Dinosaur and the Home Schoolers Who Found It (2002), which was debunked by experts.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/mark-meadows-and-the-undisclosed-dinosaur-property |title=Mark Meadows and the Dinosaur Property |last=Bethea |first=Charles |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en |access-date=January 5, 2020 |date=October 1, 2019}}

In Congress, Meadows had an ultraconservative voting record. He signed the Contract from America, a set of ten policies assembled by the Tea Party movement.{{cite web |title= Contract from America |url= http://votesmart.org/public-statement/667797/ |work= Project Vote Smart |access-date= October 9, 2013}}{{cite web |title= Mark Meadows on Government Reform |url= http://www.ontheissues.org/NC/Mark_Meadows_Government_Reform.htm |work= On the Issues |access-date= October 9, 2013}} Meadows was, with Jim Jordan, a founding member of the Freedom Caucus.{{Cite web|last=Coaston|first=Jane|date=December 19, 2019|title=House Freedom Caucus founder and Trump ally Mark Meadows is retiring from Congress|url=https://www.vox.com/2019/12/19/21029735/mark-meadows-retires|access-date=November 1, 2020|website=Vox|language=en}}

File:Mark Meadows, Official Portrait, 113th Congress.jpg

Meadows voted against disaster relief spending for October 2012's Hurricane Sandy, which struck the Northeastern United States and caused severe damage.{{cite news |last=Elis |first=Niv |date=August 29, 2017 |title=Freedom Caucus chair: Disaster funding doesn't need budget offsets |url=https://thehill.com/policy/finance/budget/348450-freedom-caucus-chair-disaster-funding-doesnt-need-budget-offsets/ |work=The Hill |location=Washington, DC}} He was one of several Republicans who claimed the funding bill contained pork-barrel spending that had nothing to do with hurricane relief, a claim the bill's supporters denied.{{cite news |last=Bouie |first=Jamelle |date=August 30, 2017 |title=Help to Those Who Help Themselves |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/08/why-the-gop-flip-flops-on-federal-disaster-relief.html |work=Slate |location=New York, NY}} Meadows's opposition to Sandy relief was recalled in 2017 news accounts after he and many Republicans who had opposed it voted in favor of disaster aid following Hurricane Harvey, which caused massive damage in Louisiana and Texas that August. Critics alleged that Republicans were hypocritically opposing spending in states with Democratic majorities while supporting it in Republican states.{{cite news |last1=King |first1=Ledyard |last2=Jackson |first2=Herb |date=August 28, 2017 |title=Officials hope Congress does not repeat disaster aid battle that followed Superstorm Sandy |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2017/08/28/officials-hope-congress-does-not-repeat-disaster-aid-battle-followed-superstorm-sandy/608982001/ |work=Detroit Free Press |location=Detroit, MI}} Republicans, including Meadows, claimed the situations were different because the Harvey spending bill contained no "pork". A Congressional Research Service review determined that the Sandy spending bill's funds were almost all devoted to recovery from Sandy.{{cite news |last=Qiu |first=Linda |date=August 30, 2017 |title=Was 2013 Hurricane Sandy Relief Package 'Full of Pork'? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/us/politics/hurricane-sandy-relief-fact-check.html |work=The New York Times |location=New York, NY |url-access=limited}}

Meadows served as chair of the Subcommittee on Government Operations up until June 20, 2015, when fellow Republican congressman Jason Chaffetz removed him from the position. A member of the House Republican leadership, Chaffetz removed Meadows due to Meadows's vote against a procedural motion the Republican leadership presented.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rollcall.com/news/mark-meadows-explains-overthrow-boehner|title=Meadows Explains Effort to Overthrow Boehner|last1=Dumain|first1=Emma|date=July 29, 2015|access-date=January 3, 2020|last2=Fuller|first2=Matt|language=en}} Meadows was one of 34 Republicans who voted against the motion, which allowed for consideration of President Barack Obama's request for fast-track authority on trade agreements. Speaker John Boehner supported the measure, but many Republicans felt it gave too much power to Democrats and Obama specifically.{{cite web |last= Sherman |first=Jake |title= Jason Chaffetz strips Meadows of subcommittee chairmanship |url= http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/chaffetz-strips-meadows-of-subcommittee-chairmanship-119252.html |work=Politico |date= June 20, 2015 |access-date= June 22, 2015 }} Chaffetz's action was seen as controversial, with many prominent Republican politicians, including Texas senator Ted Cruz, speaking out against the punishment.

Meadows served as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee for 18 days, until he assumed the office of White House Chief of Staff.{{cite news |last1=Zanona |first1=Melanie |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/11/jim-jordan-mark-meadows-congress-committees-113911 |title=Jim Jordan, Mark Meadows picked as top Republicans on key committees |access-date=March 8, 2020 |work=Politico|date=February 11, 2020 |language=en}}

Meadows was a member of these committees:

• Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations
• Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
• Subcommittee on Government Operations (chair)[https://meadows.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=54 Meadows named chair of Subcommittee on Government Operations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302235515/https://meadows.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=54 |date=March 2, 2020 }}, January 24, 2017
• Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Subcommittee on Aviation
• Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
• Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

Meadows was a member of these caucuses:

• Congressional Western Caucus{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://westerncaucus.house.gov/about/membership.htm|publisher=Congressional Western Caucus|access-date=July 18, 2018}}
• U.S.-Japan Caucus{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://usjapancaucus-castro.house.gov/members| publisher=U.S. - Japan Caucus|access-date=December 14, 2018}}
• House Freedom Caucus
• Second Amendment Caucus

Meadows has been described as playing an important part of the 2013 United States federal government shutdown.{{cite news |last=Caldwell |first= Leigh Ann |title= Architect of the brink: Meet the man behind the government shutdown |url= http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/27/politics/house-tea-party/index.html |access-date= October 8, 2013 |newspaper=CNN |date= October 1, 2013}}{{cite news |last=Ostendorff |first=John |title= Meadows says constituents back his shutdown fight |url= http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20131003/NEWS/310030079/Meadows-says-constituents-back-his-shutdown-fight |access-date= October 8, 2013 |newspaper= Asheville Citizen-Times |date=October 3, 2013 }}{{cite news |last=Straw |first= Joseph |title=Tea Party-backed Rep. Mark Meadows put government on road to shutdown |url= http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/meadows-put-government-road-shutdown-article-1.1472233 |newspaper=New York Daily News |date= September 30, 2013 |access-date= October 8, 2013}} On August 21, 2013, he wrote an open letter to Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor encouraging them to "affirmatively de-fund the implementation and enforcement of Obamacare in any relevant appropriations bills brought to the House floor in the 113th Congress, including any continuing appropriations bill."{{cite web |last=Meadows |first=Mark |title=Letter to Boehner and Cantor |url=http://meadows.house.gov/uploads/Meadows_DefundLetter.pdf |publisher=Meadows.house.gov |access-date=October 8, 2013 |date=August 21, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006003805/http://meadows.house.gov/uploads/Meadows_DefundLetter.pdf |archive-date=October 6, 2013 }}{{cite news |title= U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows Sends Letter to Boehner, Cantor Encouraging House Leadership to Defund Obamacare |url= http://www.hcpress.com/politics/u-s-rep-mark-meadows-sends-letter-to-boehner-cantor-encouraging-house-leadership-to-defund-obamacare.html |access-date= October 8, 2013 |newspaper= High County Press |date= August 22, 2013 }} The document was signed by 79 of Meadows's colleagues in the House. Heritage Action (which opened operations in North Carolina in January 2011{{cite news |title= Heritage Foundation sinks its roots in N.C. |author= Rob Christensen |url= http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/11/912355/heritage-foundation-sinks-its.html |work=The News & Observer |date=January 11, 2011 |access-date= October 11, 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131014125909/http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/11/912355/heritage-foundation-sinks-its.html |archive-date= October 14, 2013 }}), ran critical Internet advertisements in the districts of 100 Republican lawmakers who failed to sign the letter.{{cite news |last1= Stolberg |first1=Sheryl Gay |last2= McIntyre |first2=Mike |title=A federal budget crisis months in the planning |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/us/a-federal-budget-crisis-months-in-the-planning.html|newspaper=The New York Times |date= October 5, 2013 |access-date= October 11, 2013}} The letter has been described as controversial within the Republican Party.{{cite news |last=Omarzu |first=Tim |title= The letter behind the shutdown; GOP missive urges defunding of Obamacare |url= http://timesfreepress.com/news/2013/oct/04/the-letter-behind-the-shutdown/ |access-date= October 8, 2013 |newspaper= Times Free Press |date= October 4, 2013}}

The New York Daily News said Meadows put the federal government on the road to shutdown, saying calls to defund Obamacare through spending bills languished until Meadows wrote his letter. Meadows downplayed his influence, saying "I'm one of 435 members and a very small part of this." CNN described Meadows as the "architect of the brink" for his letter suggesting that Obamacare be defunded in any continuing appropriations bill. Meadows said that sensationalized his role.

John Ostendorff of the Asheville Citizen-Times wrote that Meadows "said it's best to close the government in the short term to win a delay on 'Obamacare', despite the potential negative impact on the economy." Ostendorff wrote that Meadows said he was doing what Tea Party members in Western North Carolina wanted him to do. Meadows said his constituents wanted him to fight against Obamacare "regardless of consequences." Jane Bilello, head of the Asheville Tea Party, said Meadows "truly represents us" on the issue of Obamacare. Meadows reportedly held conference calls with members of the Asheville Tea Party, telling them what was going on in Congress and about challenges he faced promoting their agenda.

In public comments, Meadows said he was working on a compromise that involved passing appropriations bills that would fund only parts of the government, such as a bill to fund the National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, National Gallery of Art, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and a bill to fund the National Institutes of Health. But partial or "mini" funding bills were rejected by the Democratic majority in the United States Senate.

On July 28, 2015, Meadows filed a resolution to vote on removing John Boehner as speaker of the House.{{cite news |title= Mark Meadows Tries to Boot Boehner From Speakership |work=National Journal |date= July 29, 2015 |access-date= July 29, 2015 |first= Daniel |last= Neewhauser |url= http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/mark-meadows-tries-to-boot-boehner-from-speakership-20150728 }} If the resolution passed, the House would then vote to elect a new speaker. Because he filed it as a nonprivileged resolution, it was sent to the House Committee on Rules for a vote first, rather than the House floor. The Committee on Rules was considered to have many members who were loyal to Boehner, so the resolution was seen as unlikely to move forward.

Meadows said he filed the resolution because Boehner had "endeavored to consolidate power, bypassing the majority" of Congress; "through inaction, caused the power of Congress to atrophy," "uses the power of the office to punish Members who vote according to their conscience"; "has intentionally provided for voice votes on consequential and controversial legislation to be taken without notice and with few Members present"; "uses the legislative calendar to create crises for the American People"; allowed members less than three days to review legislation before voting; and limited meaningful debate on the House floor.{{cite web |url= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/07/28/meadows.hres.385.pdf |title= Resolution Declaring the office of Speaker of the House vacant |first= Mark |last= Meadows |date= July 28, 2015 |access-date= July 29, 2015 }} The resolution received support from Congressman Walter B. Jones Jr.{{cite news|last1=Bresnahan|first1=John|title=John Boehner: Bid to boot him 'no big deal'|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/gop-leaders-ignore-attempt-john-boehner-ouster-120771.html|access-date=July 29, 2015|work=Politico|date=July 29, 2015}}

Boehner responded, "Listen, you have a member here and a member there who are off the reservation. No big deal ... Listen, this is one member. All right. I've got broad support amongst my colleagues. And frankly, it isn't even deserving of a vote."{{cite news|last1=Fox|first1=Lauren|title=John Boehner's Not Giving Mark Meadows the Chance to Oust Him|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/john-boehner-s-not-giving-meadows-the-chance-to-oust-him-20150729|access-date=July 29, 2015|work=National Journal|date=July 29, 2015}} On September 25, 2015, Boehner announced his intention to resign as speaker.{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/09/25/john-boehner-resigns-house-speaker/72793398/|title=Amid revolt, Boehner steps aside to avoid 'irreparable harm' to Congress|last=Shesgreen|first=Deirdre|date=September 26, 2015|work=USA Today|access-date=August 23, 2016}} He officially resigned on October 31, 2015.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/10/john_boehner_exits_john_kasich.html|title=John Boehner exits, John Kasich books Stephen Colbert: Ohio Politics Roundup|last=Gomez|first=Harry|date=October 30, 2015|work=cleveland.com|access-date=August 23, 2016}}

A group of employees reported to Meadows' deputy chief of staff in October 2014 that they were uncomfortable with Meadows' then chief of staff, Kenny West, calling his behavior "inappropriate towards them". Meadows asked Representative Trey Gowdy's chief of staff (a woman and former sex-crimes prosecutor) to interview the employees, and Meadows eventually limited or prohibited West's presence in Meadows's Washington and district offices.{{cite news |last1=Troyan |first1=Mary |date=August 17, 2016 |title=Ethics probe of Rep. Mark Meadows continues |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/08/17/ethics-probe-rep-mark-meadows-continues/88903504/ |access-date=January 24, 2018 |work=USA Today |language=en}}

Although West resigned after the employees accused him of inappropriate behavior, he remained on the House payroll in violation of House rules, according to an independent House Ethics Committee investigation. Meadows paid West $58,125 from April 2015 to August 2015 even though he was no longer working in Meadows' office. There is "substantial reason to believe that Representative Meadows retained an employee who did not perform duties commensurate with the compensation the employee received and certified that the compensation met applicable House standards, in violation of House rules and standards of conduct," the Office of Congressional Ethics report said.

In November 2018, the House Ethics Committee fined Meadows over $40,000 (representing the amount West had been paid improperly) after concluding he "did not do enough to address" sexual harassment allegations against West. The committee concluded Meadows took "immediate and appropriate steps" by separating West from female staffers and requesting an investigation, but noted that West retained his title and "apparent authority over staff" during this period. "Representative Meadows could have and should have done more to ensure that his congressional office was free from discrimination or the perception of discrimination," the committee wrote. The committee fined Meadows $40,625 "for Mr. West's salary that was not commensurate with his work." The Daily Beast previously reported that a former aide told the committee Meadows and other top staff members in his office were aware of West's behavior before it was publicly reported.{{cite news |last1=Stein |first1=Sam |title=Ex-Mark Meadows Aide Says Sexual Harassment in Congressman's Office Was Known Earlier Than Reported |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/ex-mark-meadows-aide-says-sexual-harassment-in-congressmans-office-was-known-earlier-than-reported |access-date=January 24, 2018 |work=The Daily Beast |date=January 16, 2018 }}

{{See also|2012 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 11}}

In late 2011 Meadows announced he was running for Congress in North Carolina's 11th congressional district, for the seat being vacated by Democratic incumbent Heath Shuler. The district had been significantly altered in redistricting. New lines were drawn straight through the middle of Warren Wilson College. Notably, it lost most of Asheville to the 10th district, while picking up some heavily Republican territory in the foothills. The old 11th had a slight Republican lean, but the new 11th was on paper the most Republican district in the state.{{Cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/15/gerrymandering-5k-asheville-north-carolina-215829 |title=I Ran the Worst 5K of My Life So I Could Explain Gerrymandering to You |last=Markovich |first=Jeremy |date=November 15, 2017 |website=Politico |access-date=March 23, 2019}} In 2011 the North Carolina state legislature redrew the congressional districts based on updated population information from the 2010 census. As a result, the district is now 91.2% White, 3.0% Black, 1.4% Native American and 1.0% Asian.{{cite web|url=http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/North_Carolina's_11th_congressional_district|title=North Carolina's 11th Congressional District - Ballotpedia|website=ballotpedia.org}} The district was drawn in such a way that in some parts of Asheville, one side of the street shifted to the 10th while the other side of the street stayed in the 11th.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/they-re-still-drawing-crazy-looking-districts-can-t-it-n803051|title=They're Still Drawing Crazy-Looking Districts. Can't It Be Stopped?|last=Timm|first=Jane|work=NBC News|date=September 22, 2017}}

Meadows won the July 2012 Republican primary runoff,{{cite news|title=Mark Meadows sweeps 11th congressional GOP run-off|url=http://www.maconnews.com/news/state--region/3317-mark-meadows-sweeps-11th-congressional-gop-run-off |access-date=August 31, 2012|newspaper=The Macon County News|date=July 19, 2012|author=Parker, Brittney |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021014858/http://www.maconnews.com/news/state--region/3317-mark-meadows-sweeps-11th-congressional-gop-run-off|archive-date=October 21, 2013}} and in the November general election faced Democratic nominee Hayden Rogers, who had been Shuler's chief of staff. On August 28, Meadows spoke at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa.{{cite news |url=http://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/blog/2012/uncategorized/meadows-back-on-with-tuesday-slot-at-convention/ |title=Meadows back on with Tuesday slot at convention |newspaper=Henderson Lightning |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014123759/http://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/blog/2012/uncategorized/meadows-back-on-with-tuesday-slot-at-convention/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 14, 2013 |date=August 27, 2012 |department=Mossblog |access-date=March 25, 2017 }} He won the general election with approximately 57% of the vote{{cite web|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/42923/114047/Web01/en/summary.html|title=NC State Board of Elections|website=clarityelections.com}} and took office in January 2013.

{{See also|2014 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 11}}

Meadows was reelected with 62.9% of the vote.

{{See also|2016 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 11}}

Meadows appeared with candidate Donald Trump on the campaign trail in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in July 2016 just after the Republican National Convention, leading the crowd in a chant, "Lock her up", an anti-Hillary Clinton refrain.{{cite news |first=Jenna |last=Johnson |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/07/26/at-donald-trumps-north-carolina-rally-the-warm-up-acts-nearly-upstaged-the-nominee/ |department=Post Politics |title=At Donald Trump's North Carolina rally, the warm-up acts nearly upstaged the nominee |date=July 26, 2016 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url-access=limited}}

Meadows won re-election with 64.1% of the vote.

{{See also|2018 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 11}}

Meadows won reelection to his seat in the November 2018 election, receiving 59% of the vote to his Democratic opponent Phillip Price's 38%.{{Cite web|title=North Carolina's 11th Congressional District election, 2018|url=https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina%27s_11th_Congressional_District_election,_2018|website=ballotpedia.org}}

During the campaign Meadows supported President Trump's agenda, calling him a "conservative president" in 2017,{{Cite web |first=Pete |last=Kasperowicz |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mark-meadows-donald-trump-is-a-conservative |title=Mark Meadows: 'Donald Trump is a conservative' |date=March 31, 2017 |website=Washington Examiner |language=en |access-date=December 8, 2019}} and suggesting that Republicans who didn't support Trump should be removed from office.{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/355311-meadows-time-to-eject-lawmakers-who-dont-back-trump/|title=Meadows: Time to 'eject' lawmakers who don't back Trump |last=Rowland |first=Geoffrey |date=October 13, 2017 |website=The Hill |language=en |access-date=December 8, 2019}} Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner attended a private fundraiser for Meadows.{{Cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/01/kushner-fundraises-for-mark-meadows-242244 |title=Kushner fundraises for Mark Meadows |website=Politico |date=September 1, 2017}} In January 2018, Meadows traveled to Davos, Switzerland, with a congressional delegation for the World Economic Forum, along with a White House delegation including Trump and cabinet members including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry.{{Cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-deal-saves-congressional-trip-to-davos-2018-1|title=The deal to end the government shutdown saved the congressional trip to an elite gathering in Davos, Switzerland|last=Perticone|first=Joe|date=January 22, 2018|access-date=March 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011123151/https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-deal-saves-congressional-trip-to-davos-2018-1|archive-date=October 11, 2018|work=Business Insider|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/01/26/meadows-attends-economic-forum-davos-switzerland-speaks-panel/1070763001/|title=Mark Meadows attends economic forum in Switzerland, speaks on panel|last=Barrett|first=Mark|date=January 26, 2018|work=Citizen Times|access-date=March 29, 2022}}

On December 19, 2019, Meadows announced that he would not seek reelection in 2020.{{cite news |last=McPherson |first=Lindsey |date=December 29, 2019 |title=North Carolina's Mark Meadows won't run for reelection |url=https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/north-carolinas-mark-meadows-wont-run-reelection |work=Roll Call |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=December 19, 2019}}

File:Donald Trump and Mark Meadows on Air Force One.jpg

By 2017, Meadows and Donald Trump began telephone conversations following evening broadcasts by Sean Hannity on Fox News. In December 2018, Meadows was vocal about his desire to work in the White House as Chief of Staff upon the January 2019 departure of John F. Kelly.{{cite news |last=Caralle |first=Katelyn |date=December 10, 2018 |title=Mark Meadows wants to be Trump's chief of staff |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/mark-meadows-wants-to-be-trumps-chief-of-staff |work=Washington Examiner |access-date=December 10, 2018 }} Until December 2018, Meadows claimed to have received a Bachelor of Arts degree. When questions about his credentials arose during media speculation that he was under consideration to serve as White House chief of staff, Meadows amended his official House biography and other sources to indicate that his degree was an associate, not a bachelor's.

On March 6, 2020, Trump named Meadows the next White House chief of staff,{{cite tweet |number=1236096307103707136 |title=I am pleased to announce that Congressman Mark Meadows will become White House Chief of Staff |date=March 6, 2020 |access-date=March 6, 2020 |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |user=realDonaldTrump |language=en}} succeeding Acting Chief Mick Mulvaney.{{Cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/06/us/politics/trump-mark-meadows-mick-mulvaney.html |title=Trump Names Mark Meadows Chief of Staff, Ousting Mick Mulvaney |date=March 6, 2020 |work=The New York Times |access-date=March 6, 2020 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Zeke |last2=Colvin |first2=Jill |last3=Taylor |first3=Andrew |title=Meadows toggles between legislator, White House roles |url=https://apnews.com/b99ed04440019680c785a897df91548a |date=March 27, 2020 |work=Associated Press |access-date=March 28, 2020}} Meadows resigned from the House on March 30, 2020,{{cite news |last1=Lesniewski |first1=Niels |last2=McPherson |first2=Lindsey |title=Rep. Mark Meadows resigns to become White House chief of staff |url=https://www.rollcall.com/2020/03/30/rep-mark-meadows-resigns-to-become-white-house-chief-of-staff/ |access-date=March 31, 2020 |work=Roll Call |date=March 30, 2020 |language=en}} and began his new role the next day.{{Cite news |first1=Alex |last1=Moe |first2=Phil |last2=Helsel |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/rep-mark-meadows-resigns-congress-take-chief-staff-role-n1172621 |title=Rep. Mark Meadows resigns from Congress to become Trump's chief of staff |work=NBC News |language=en |access-date=March 31, 2020 |date=March 30, 2020}}

Meadows and his wife allegedly committed voter fraud in 2020 when they registered to vote at a mobile home in North Carolina where they did not live. They voted by absentee ballot from that address.{{Cite magazine |date=March 6, 2022 |title=Why Did Mark Meadows Register to Vote at an Address Where He Did Not Reside? |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/why-did-mark-meadows-register-to-vote-at-an-address-where-he-did-not-reside |access-date=March 6, 2022 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/07/meadows-address-voter-registration/|first=Mariana|last=Alfaro|title=In 2020, Meadows registered to vote at N.C. mobile home that he reportedly never lived in|date=March 7, 2022|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=April 7, 2022|url-access=limited}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/08/us/politics/mark-meadows-trump-vote-north-carolina.html|title=Mark Meadows Spread Trump's Voter Fraud Claims. Now His Voting Record is Under Scrutiny|work=The New York Times|date=March 8, 2022|first=Reid J.|last=Epstein|url-access=limited|access-date=April 7, 2022}}{{Cite news |title=Debra Meadows appears to have filed at least two false voter forms |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/23/debra-meadows-appears-have-filed-three-false-voter-forms/ |access-date=April 7, 2022 |issn=0190-8286 |first=Glenn |last=Kessler |date=March 23, 2022 |url-access=limited}} Two years later, North Carolina removed Meadows from the voter rolls while it investigated.{{Cite web |last=Bobic |first=Igor |date=April 13, 2022 |title=Former Trump Aide Mark Meadows Removed From Voter Rolls Over 'Potential Voter Fraud' |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-voter-fraud-mark-meadows_n_6256ee0ee4b06c2ea325f02f |access-date=April 13, 2022 |website=HuffPost |language=en}} On December 30, 2022, the attorney general's office of North Carolina closed the investigation, stating it had found insufficient evidence of voter fraud.

{{Main|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|Trump–Raffensperger phone call}}

After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, and Trump refused to concede while making false claims of systemic and pervasive fraud, Meadows aided Trump in his efforts to overturn the election and to pressure election officials in Georgia to overturn the results of the election in that state (which Biden won) based on Trump's baseless claims of fraud.{{Cite news|title='This Was A Scam': In Recorded Call, Trump Pushed Official To Overturn Georgia Vote|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/01/03/953012128/this-was-a-scam-in-recorded-call-trump-pushed-official-to-overturn-georgia-vote|access-date=January 4, 2021|work=All Things Considered|publisher=NPR}} He urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the certification of Georgia's election results in a "spirit of cooperation and compromise". In a taped phone call during which Meadows was present, Trump attempted to pressure Raffensperger into recounting Georgia's votes, claiming he had won the state.{{cite web|url = https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/04/trumps-phone-call-to-brad-raffensperger-five-key-points| title = Trump's phone call to Brad Raffensperger: six key points|quote = The conversation is mainly between Trump and Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's Republican secretary of state, but Trump allies including Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, and attorney Cleta Mitchell were also present, as was Ryan Germany, Raffensperger's general counsel.|work=The Guardian|author = Sullivan, Helen| date = January 4, 2021}}

Alongside Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, Meadows conveyed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that the Trump administration would pursue all possible avenues in a bid to overturn the election results. Meadows also connected Trump to Mark Martin, a former North Carolina judge who advanced the radical claim that Trump's Vice President, Mike Pence, could refuse to count the electoral votes from states Biden won.

Meadows also repeatedly pressed Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen to have the Justice Department investigate unfounded conspiracy theories claiming fraud, including one that posited that people in Italy used military technology and satellites to tamper with voting machine and turning Trump votes into Biden votes. The claim was one of several outlandish claims circulating online in the days before a pro-Trump mob attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

On September 24, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives committee investigating the 2021 United States Capitol attack subpoenaed Meadows for records and testimony relating to the insurrection,{{cite news |last1=Jalonick |first1=Mary Clare |last2=Tucker |first2=Eric |title=House Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Trump advisers, associates |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-subpoenas-mark-meadows-bennie-thompson-41b9b7a09f4530b7a182549e556a9ad9 |access-date=September 24, 2021 |work=Associated Press |date=September 24, 2021}} but he failed to show up for a deposition before the committee. Adam Schiff has said the committee is working on issuing a criminal referral for Meadows.{{Cite web|last=Bursztynsky|first=Jessica|date=November 14, 2021|title=Schiff says Jan. 6 House committee will move quickly to refer Meadows for criminal contempt|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/14/schiff-says-jan-6-house-committee-will-move-quickly-to-refer-meadows-for-criminal-contempt.html|access-date=November 18, 2021|website=CNBC|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=November 16, 2021|title=Jan. 6 panel considers contempt vote against Mark Meadows but 'won't rush'|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/jan-6-panel-considers-contempt-vote-against-mark-meadows-but-wont-rush |agency=Associated Press |access-date=November 18, 2021 |website=PBS NewsHour|language=en-us}}{{Cite web|last=Brugen|first=Isabel van|date=November 15, 2021|title=Mark Meadows faces criminal contempt charges as noose tightens on Trump allies|url=https://www.newsweek.com/mark-meadows-adam-schiff-criminal-contempt-january-6-capitol-riot-subpoena-committee-1649144|access-date=November 18, 2021|website=Newsweek|language=en}}

In early December 2021, Meadows provided to the January 6 Select Committee a PowerPoint presentation on how the election could be overturned that he had received by email the day before the storming of the capitol. The presentation recommended that the president declare a national emergency to retain power. A lawyer representing Meadows stated that he did not act upon the document.{{cite news |last1=Broadwater |first1=Luke |last2=Feuer |first2=Alan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/10/us/politics/capitol-attack-meadows-powerpoint.html |title=Jan. 6 Committee Examines PowerPoint Document Sent to Meadows |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 10, 2021 }}{{Cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Emma |last2=Swaine |first2=Jon |last3=Alemany |first3=Jacqueline |last4=Dawsey |first4=Josh |last5=Hamburger |first5=Tom |date=December 11, 2021 |title=Phil Waldron, backer of Jan. 6 PowerPoint, says he met with Mark Meadows, briefed lawmakers |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/phil-waldron-mark-meadows-powerpoint/2021/12/11/4ea67938-59df-11ec-9a18-a506cf3aa31d_story.html |url-access=limited |access-date=December 13, 2021}}

On December 14, 2021, Meadows was held in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the January 6 Select Committee. He is the first former member of Congress to have been held in contempt of Congress.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mark-meadows-capitol-riot-congress-contempt-b1976232.html|title=Mark Meadows: House votes to hold ex-Trump aide in contempt of Congress and refers him for prosecution|first1=Andrew|last1=Feinberg|first2=Eric|last2=Garcia|work=The Independent|date=December 15, 2021|accessdate=December 15, 2021}} The contempt charge was referred to the Justice Department, which declined to prosecute him.

In April 2022, the January 6 Select Committee and CNN obtained texts Meadows had sent and received between the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol attack. In the messages, Sean Hannity, Brian Kilmeade, Laura Ingraham, and Donald Trump Jr. texted Meadows during the riot urging him to get Trump to condemn the violence on Capitol Hill.{{Cite news |first=Jeremy |last=Barr |date=December 13, 2021 |title=Fox News hosts urged Meadows to have Trump stop Jan. 6 violence, texts show |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2021/12/13/fox-ingraham-hannity-kilmeade-jan-6-trump-texts/ |access-date=2022-06-08 |issn=0190-8286}} Other texts include plans to fight the election results and strategies to deflect blame for the attack.{{Cite news |title=READ: Text messages Sean Hannity, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ivanka Trump and others sent to Mark Meadows |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/25/politics/read-mark-meadows-texts-sean-hannity-ivanka-trump-marjorie-taylor-greene/index.html |access-date=May 26, 2022 |date=April 25, 2022 |website=CNN}}

Former Meadows top aide Cassidy Hutchinson provided extensive closed-door testimony to the January 6 committee, which signaled it considered her a key witness. As committee public hearings were beginning in June 2022, Hutchinson had replaced her attorney, who had deep connections with Trump associates, with a former chief of staff to Trump's first attorney general Jeff Sessions, who had enraged Trump by recusing himself from oversight of the Mueller investigation.{{cite news |last1=Woodruff Swan |first1=Betsy |title=Hutchinson, former Meadows aide, replaces lawyer on cusp of Jan. 6 hearings |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/09/hutchinson-former-meadows-aide-replaces-lawyer-jan-6-hearings-00038439 |work=Politico |date=June 9, 2022}}

In September 2022, Meadows turned over additional texts and emails to the National Archives following the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago.{{Cite web |author=Jamie Gangel, Kristen Holmes, Jeremy Herb and Evan Perez |title=After Mar-a-Lago search, Meadows turns over more texts and emails to Archives |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/02/politics/mark-meadows-texts-emails-national-archives/index.html |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=CNN|date=September 3, 2022 }}

In late November 2022, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that Meadows must testify in the Georgia election probe into the Trump–Raffensperger phone call.{{Cite web |author=Richard Fausset |title=Mark Meadows Ordered to Testify in Trump Investigation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/29/us/elections/meadows-trump-georgia-election-investigation.html |website=The New York Times|date=November 15, 2022 }} On August 14, 2023, along with 18 co-defendants, he was indicted in the Georgia investigation. Meadows turned himself in at the Fulton County jail on August 24, 2023, and was released on $100,000 bail.{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Ella |title=Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows surrenders at Fulton County jail |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4169724-former-trump-chief-of-staff-mark-meadows-surrenders-at-fulton-county-jail/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824202912/https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4169724-former-trump-chief-of-staff-mark-meadows-surrenders-at-fulton-county-jail/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |access-date=August 24, 2023 |work=The Hill |date=August 24, 2023}} On September 5, 2023, Meadows, along with co-defendants John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark, waived his arraignment and entered a written not guilty plea.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/mark-meadows-john-eastman-jeffrey-clark-plead-not-guilty-georgia-elect-rcna103450|title=Mark Meadows, John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark plead not guilty in Georgia election interference case|first1=Charlie|last1=Gile|first2=Dareh|last2=Gregorian|publisher=NBC News|date=2023-09-05|accessdate=2023-09-06}}

In June 2023, it was reported that Meadows had testified to a federal grand jury as part of special counsel Jack Smith's ongoing investigation into the former president's handling of classified documents.{{Cite web |last1=Holmes |first1=Kristen |last2=Polantz |first2=Katelyn |last3=Rabinowitz |first3=Hannah |date=June 7, 2023 |title=Mark Meadows testified to federal grand jury in special counsel probe of Trump |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/06/politics/mark-meadows-grand-jury-trump-probe/index.html |access-date=June 7, 2023 |website=CNN}} On October 24, 2023, it was disclosed that Meadows, under a grant of immunity by Smith, admitted that he had repeatedly informed President Donald Trump that there was no basis to the contentions that there had been election fraud that caused him to lose the 2020 presidential election, and despite the fact that Meadows had authored a book that made claims directly to the contrary.[https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/meadows-granted-immunity-tells-smith-he-warned-trump-about-2020-claims-sources/ar-AA1iMCfK Meadows granted immunity, tells Smith he warned Trump about 2020 claims: Sources], MSN.com, October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.

Meadows became a principal at the Conservative Partnership Institute in January 2021 as Biden took office. The group has aimed to elect conservatives, particularly using dark money,{{Cite web |last=Isenstadt |first=Alex |title=Trumpworld's next target: Building a dark-money machine |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/24/gop-building-dark-money-machine-477756 |access-date=April 19, 2022 |website=Politico|date=March 24, 2021 }} and changing voting rules.{{Cite web |last=Axelrod |first=Tal |date=January 27, 2021 |title=Mark Meadows joins Conservative Partnership Institute |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/536152-mark-meadows-joins-conservative-partnership-institute/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127203457/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/536152-mark-meadows-joins-conservative-partnership-institute |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 27, 2021 |access-date=April 19, 2022 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=March 25, 2022 |title=Supreme Court justice Thomas's wife urged Trump White House to overturn 2020 election -report |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/supreme-court-justice-thomass-wife-urged-trump-white-house-overturn-2020-2022-03-25/ |access-date=April 19, 2022}}{{Cite news |date=April 18, 2022 |title='Election integrity summits' aim to fire up Trump activists over big lie |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/18/election-integrity-summits-conservative-partnership-institute |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=The Guardian}}

Meadows is opposed to abortion and has called abortion a tragedy. He opposes federal funding for abortion and believes parents should be notified of underage abortion procedures. He also opposes requiring churches and other religious sites to provide birth control options to employees.

In February 2013 Meadows voted against renewing the Violence Against Women Act. Meadows has said he casts his votes based not on his personal feelings but on what the majority of his constituents in "God's Country" tell him to do.{{Cite news |last=Jan |first=Tracy |date=June 23, 2013 |title=Turning the political map into a partisan weapon |work=The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2013/06/22/new-district-maps-reaped-rewards-for-gop-congress-but-cost-fewer-moderates-more-gridlock/B6jCugm94tpBvVu77ay0wJ/story.html |access-date=January 24, 2018}}

While in Congress, Meadows advocated for a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution. He supports a moratorium on all earmarks until the budget has been balanced. Meadows opposes any cuts to military spending levels.{{cite web|url=http://www.ontheissues.org/NC/Mark_Meadows.htm|title=Mark Meadows : (Republican, district 11)|work=On the Issues}}

Meadows opposed the federal stimulus spending during the Obama administration; as Trump's White House chief of staff, he supported Trump's fiscal stimulus proposals, and was Trump's lead negotiator on stimulus legislation, pushing for $1.8 trillion in federal stimulus spending, a number some Senate Republicans resisted.{{cite news |first1=Erik |last1=Wasson |first2=Laura |last2=Litvan |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-18/meadows-says-white-house-leaving-stimulus-talks-up-to-congress |title=Meadows Puts Onus for Relief on Congress as White House Retreats |work=Bloomberg |date=November 18, 2020 }}{{cite news |first=Sahil |last=Kapur |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trump-aide-meadows-unsure-senate-gop-will-approve-1-8-n1243876 |title=Trump aide Meadows unsure Senate GOP will approve a $1.8 trillion coronavirus stimulus |work=NBC News |date=October 19, 2020 }} Meadows has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, and he opposes raising any taxes, including the income tax. He supports a flat-rate income tax for all earners and a repeal of the raise in the capital gains tax. He also supports eliminating the estate tax.

In 2016 Meadows wrote Trump a letter demanding the repeal of the federal "prevailing wage" requirement, which requires that laborers and mechanics on public works projects be paid the locally prevailing wages. The rule was initially made to protect traveling black workers in the South from being paid far less than local workers. It evolved into a protection for union workers, ensuring that non-unionized competitors would have to pay the same rate, making it difficult to underbid for work. The letter also demanded the repeal of the overtime rule from the Obama administration, which said people making less than $47,000 a year must be paid extra for overtime hours, compared to the previous requirement that those making over $23,000 a year could be denied overtime pay if the worker's duties could be considered "managerial". The letter also demanded the end of regulations requiring federal contractors to be paid for sick leave.

As chief of staff, Meadows played an influential role in the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He pressured the Food and Drug Administration to adopt less strict guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine trials and admonished the White House's own infectious disease experts for not "staying on message" with Trump's rhetoric. In October 2020, Meadows said it was futile to try "to control the pandemic", emphasizing instead a plan to contain it with vaccines and therapeutics. On November 4, 2020, Meadows tested positive for COVID-19, but only disclosed it to a small group of people who were asked to keep it quiet, thus preventing others who had interacted with Meadows from taking the proper precautions and hindering contact tracing. Within the administration, Meadows advised Trump not to openly embrace mask-wearing, saying, "The base will revolt."{{Cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |last3=Weiland |first3=Noah |last4=LaFraniere |first4=Sharon |last5=Mazzetti |first5=Mark |date=December 31, 2020 |title=Trump's Focus as the Pandemic Raged: What Would It Mean for Him? |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/31/us/politics/trump-coronavirus.html |url-access=limited |access-date=January 1, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}} He admonished Anthony Fauci, one of the administration's leading experts in guiding the response, for not "staying on message". He impressed upon Fauci, Deborah Birx and other government public health experts not to comment on restrictive measures for dealing with the virus. While interacting with reporters, Meadows refused to wear a mask.{{Cite web |last=Shabad |first=Rebecca |date=October 12, 2020 |title=Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows refuses to speak to reporters with mask on |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-chief-staff-mark-meadows-refuses-speak-reporters-mask-n1242990 |access-date=April 7, 2022 |website=NBC News |language=en}}

In October 2020, when asked about the lack of face mask usage at Trump rallies, Meadows said it was futile to try "to control the pandemic" and that the focus would be on getting a vaccine.{{Cite web |date=October 25, 2020 |title=The Latest: Meadows says 'we're not going to control' virus |url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-elections-local-governments-michael-pence-e921d186b79ea7f5df4328e11bc0fab0 |access-date=October 25, 2020 |website=Associated Press}} Public health experts, including those in the White House, have pointed to face masks as one of the most basic precautions that have been proven to halt the spread of COVID-19.{{Cite news |last=Corasaniti |first=Nick |date=October 25, 2020 |title=2020 Election Live Updates: In Final Stretch, Trump and Biden Court Voters in Critical States |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10/25/us/trump-vs-biden |access-date=October 25, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}

While chief of staff, Meadows pressured the Food and Drug Administration to adopt less strict guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine trials. He criticized FDA commissioner Stephen M. Hahn as too heavily influenced by the FDA's scientist staff. During coronavirus relief negotiations, Meadows argued against giving additional funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).{{Cite news |last=Weiland |first=Noah |date=December 16, 2020 |title='Like a Hand Grasping': Trump Appointees Describe the Crushing of the C.D.C. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/us/politics/cdc-trump.html |access-date=December 22, 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}

On November 6, 2020, it was reported that Meadows had tested positive for COVID-19; per the Trump administration, he tested positive on November 4.{{Cite web |date=November 6, 2020 |title=Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff, tests positive for coronavirus |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/06/politics/mark-meadows-coronavirus-positive-test/index.html |access-date=November 6, 2020 |website=CNN}} Meadows did not issue a statement after he tested positive and did not make it widely known to administration staff.{{Cite news |date=November 7, 2020 |title=Trump Aides Frustrated After Meadows's Silence on Infection |language=en |work=Bloomberg |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-07/trump-s-chief-of-staff-mark-meadows-infected-by-coronavirus |access-date=November 7, 2020}} A small group of people were informed and told to keep it quiet. This caused consternation among other administration staff, as it hindered contact tracing efforts and endangered staff.

In December 2016 Meadows gave Trump a wish list of regulations to be repealed. It included a demand to get rid of federal funding to study climate change. He also requested Trump repeal several environmental regulations, including the Renewable Fuel Standard, end the prohibition of drilling oil on federal lands, and pull the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement.{{Cite news |first=David |last=Weigel |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/15/house-conservatives-want-trump-to-undo-regulations-on-fda-climate-uber/ |title=House conservatives want Trump to undo regulations on climate, FDA, Uber |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=May 26, 2017 |date=December 15, 2016 }}

Meadows opposes cap-and-trade emission policies and supported off-shore oil and gas extraction.

Meadows opposes same-sex marriage. In March 2013, he said that if the Supreme Court ruled gay marriage bans unconstitutional, it would be a "huge invasion into states' rights" and cause a constitutional crisis.{{cite web|url=http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=14815&MediaType=1&Category=26|title=Rep. Mark Meadows Warns Of 'Constitutional Crisis' If SCOTUS Rules For Gay Marriage|date=March 29, 2013|work=On Top}}

Meadows opposes any restrictions on gun purchases and opposes a national gun registry that would list detailed information about firearm ownership.

Meadows opposes regulations that require all internet providers provide internet at equal speeds to all parties. In 2016 he gave Trump a list of regulations to repeal that included net neutrality regulations by the Federal Communications Commission.

Meadows opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), and has said that it should be replaced by private enterprise.

Less than a year after entering Congress, Meadows wrote the letter that initially urged House Speaker John Boehner to shut down the government unless the ACA was defunded. Some constituents have criticized him as responsible for the 2013 government shutdown; The Washington Post called him its "chief architect". His district lost up to $1 million per day during the shutdown because the national parks were closed.{{Cite news |first=Greg |last=Jaffe |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rep-mark-meadows-pushed-for-a-shutdown-what-did-it-bring-his-NC-district-frustration/2013/10/19/d8a1dcf2-380c-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html |title=Rep. Mark Meadows pushed for a shutdown. What did it bring his N.C. district? Frustration. |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=May 26, 2017 |date=October 19, 2013}}

In January 2017, Meadows voted for a budget resolution that initiated the process of repealing Obamacare.{{Cite news|url=https://www.healthreformvotes.org/congress/roll-call-votes/h58-115.2017|title=HR 3: A budget resolution to begin the process of repealing the ACA.|work=HealthReformVotes.org|access-date=May 25, 2017|language=en}} On May 4, 2017, Meadows voted for the American Health Care Act (AHCA), which would partially repeal and replace Obamacare.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/04/us/politics/house-vote-republican-health-care-bill.html|title=How Every Member Voted on the House Health Care Bill|last1=Shorey|first1=Gregor Aisch, Sarah Almukhtar, Wilson Andrews, Jeremy Bowers, Nate Cohn, K. k Rebecca Lai, Jasmine C. Lee, Alicia Parlapiano, Adam Pearce, Nadja Popovich, Kevin Quealy, Rachel|date=May 4, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 25, 2017|last2=Singhvi|first2=Anjali|issn=0362-4331}}

After the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released numbers about the AHCA's effects on Americans in 2017, there were several reports that Meadows became emotional after reading about the AHCA's likely effects on those with preexisting conditions.{{Cite news|url=https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/05/25/gop-rep-mark-meadows-reportedly-teared-up-after-reading-analysis-obamacare-replacement-bill-pre-existing-conditions/22109412/|title=GOP Rep. Mark Meadows reportedly teared up after reading Obamacare replacement bill analysis|author=|work=AOL.com|access-date=May 25, 2017|language=en}} Others reported he cried only after bringing up his family members who had dealt with preexisting conditions, including his sister who had died of breast cancer, and his father who had died of lung cancer. Meadows said he wouldn't "make a political decision today that affects somebody's sister or father because I wouldn't do it to myself."{{Cite news|url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article152692439.html|title=No, an NC congressman didn't cry about the health bill score|work=The Charlotte Observer|access-date=May 25, 2017|language=en}} When asked about the CBO numbers, Meadows said Trump was "committed to making sure preexisting conditions are covered in principle and in practice, which means that funding has to be there to make it work."{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/meadows-floats-more-funding-for-repeal-bill-after-cbo-score/article/2624096|title=Meadows floats more funding for repeal bill after CBO score|last=King|first=Robert|work=Washington Examiner|access-date=May 25, 2017|language=en}}

Meadows is a strong supporter of Israel.{{cite news |title=Visiting US Reps: 'We must address Palestinian denial that Israel is a Jewish state' |url=https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/visiting-us-reps-we-must-address-palestinian-denial-that-israel-is-a-jewish-state-426265 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=October 18, 2015}} He said that the Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai and Gaza did not bring peace, but rather "In many ways, ... made [the situation] more difficult."{{cite news |title=US must stand with Israel, Meadows says after visit |url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/10/21/us-must-stand-israel-meadows-says-after-visit/74330248/ |work=Citizen Times |date=October 21, 2015 |first=Mark |last=Barrett |access-date=March 29, 2022}} Meadows has opposed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel.{{cite news |title=Congress members call on DeVos to deny taxpayer funds for BDS studies on campus |url=https://www.jns.org/congress-members-call-on-devos-to-deny-taxpayer-funds-for-bds-studies-on-campus/ |work=Jewish News Syndicate |date=December 20, 2019}}

Meadows was among 60 Republicans to oppose condemning Trump's action of withdrawing forces from Syria.{{Cite web |last=Willis |first=Derek |date=August 12, 2015 |title=Opposes Withdrawal of U.S. Forces in... - H.J.RES.77: Opposing the decision to end certain United... |url=https://projects.propublica.org/represent/votes/116/house/1/560 |website=ProPublica}} Along with Matt Gaetz and a handful of Republicans, Meadows broke with his party and voted to end Saudi assistance to the War in Yemen.{{Cite web |title=The Small But Brave Cadre of Conservative Anti-War Republicans |url=https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-brave-cadre-of-conservative-anti-war-republicans/ |website=The American Conservative|date=November 19, 2019 }}

On December 8, 2019, Meadows claimed that Trump never asked a foreign leader to investigate a political rival,{{Cite web |last=Bassou |first=Zachary |date=December 8, 2019 |title="He didn't do that": Mark Meadows denies Trump asked Ukraine to investigate political rival |url=https://www.axios.com/mark-meadows-trump-ukraine-biden-c43d2e8d-785b-462f-9aa1-b03bc1fa24a5.html |access-date=December 8, 2019 |website=Axios |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Kullgren |first=Ian |date=December 8, 2019 |title=Mark Meadows claims Trump did not ask Ukraine to investigate rivals |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/08/mark-meadows-trump-ukraine-investigate-rivals-078189 |access-date=December 8, 2019 |website=Politico |language=en}} despite a transcript of the July 25, 2019, phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy where Trump asks Zelenskyy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and in spite of Trump's October 3, 2019, public calling upon China to investigate Hunter Biden's business activities there while his father was vice president.{{Cite news |last1=Wagner |first1=John |last2=Sonmez |first2=Felicia |date=October 3, 2019 |title=Live updates: Trump calls for China to investigate Bidens; former Ukraine envoy testifies on Capitol Hill |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-impeachment-whistleblower/2019/10/02/80df829a-e494-11e9-b403-f738899982d2_story.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=December 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191002213736/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-impeachment-whistleblower/2019/10/02/80df829a-e494-11e9-b403-f738899982d2_story.html |archive-date=October 2, 2019}}{{Cite news |last1=Borger |first1=Julian |last2=Gambino |first2=Lauren |date=October 3, 2019 |title=Trump calls on China to investigate Biden in extraordinary demand |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/03/trump-biden-china-investigation-demand |url-status=live |access-date=October 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191004142600/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/03/trump-biden-china-investigation-demand |archive-date=October 4, 2019 |issn=0261-3077}} Meadows said he would be "OK" with a Democratic president doing what Trump did: "We have Democrat Senators who have done just that."{{Citation |title=Meadows: I'd be OK with a Dem doing what Trump did - CNN Video |date=December 8, 2019 |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/12/08/sotu-meadows-dem.cnn |access-date=December 8, 2019}}

Meadows, a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has been a harsh critic of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. During Trump's presidency, Meadows regularly conferred with Trump about Mueller's probe.{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/16/trump-mueller-russia-probe-doj-documents-592148|title=GOP lawmakers to Trump: Make DOJ release Mueller documents|work=Politico|access-date=May 18, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bigger-than-watergate-trump-joins-push-by-allies-to-expose-an-fbi-source/2018/05/17/db211542-59ea-11e8-8836-a4a123c359ab_story.html|title='Bigger than Watergate': Trump joins push by allies to expose role of an FBI source|last1=Rucker|first1=Philip|date=May 17, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 18, 2018|last2=Costa|first2=Robert|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|last3=Leonnig|first3=Carol D.|last4=Dawsey|first4=Josh}} Meadows has been described as a "Trump ally".{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/406008-trump-blasts-fbi-doj-over-strzok-page-media-leak-strategy/|title=Trump blasts FBI, DOJ over Strzok-Page 'Media Leak Strategy'|last=Birnbaum|first=Emily|date=September 11, 2018|work=The Hill|access-date=September 11, 2018|language=en}} In May 2018, Meadows called for a financial audit of the Mueller investigation.{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/387163-freedom-caucus-chairman-wants-financial-audit-of-mueller-investigation/|title=Freedom Caucus chairman wants financial audit of Mueller investigation|last=Delk|first=Josh|date=May 10, 2018|work=The Hill|access-date=May 18, 2018|language=en}}

In July 2018, along with Jim Jordan, Meadows called on the Department of Justice to "review allegations that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein threatened to subpoena phone records and documents from a House Intelligence Committee staffer". An aide termed the deputy AG's threats "downright chilling". In their written request, they wrote that in his use of investigative powers, Rosenstein retaliated "against rank-and-file staff members", therefore abusing his authority.{{cite web |last1=Brufke |first1=Julie Grace |title=Freedom Caucus lawmakers call on DOJ to probe Rosenstein allegations |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/397340-freedom-caucus-lawmakers-call-on-doj-to-probe-rosenstein-allegations/ |website=The Hill |date=July 16, 2018 |access-date=July 17, 2018}} Furthermore, during a Fox News interview by Laura Ingraham that same month, he "threatened to force a vote on the GOP resolution" that would impeach the deputy AG. Arguing he could force the resolution to the floor as a "privileged motion", he elaborated: "we hope it doesn't have to come to that". He filed articles of impeachment against Rosenstein on July 25, although the measure cannot be "brought straight to the House floor".{{cite web |last1=Birnbaum |first1=Emily |title=Meadows threatens to force a vote on Rosenstein impeachment |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/398931-republican-threatens-to-force-a-vote-on-rosenstein-impeachment/ |website=The Hill |date=July 25, 2018 |access-date=July 27, 2018}} Meadows's Democratic opponent in the 2018 election, Phillip Price, condemned the impeachment resolution as an attempt to shut down the Justice Department's investigation of Russian meddling into the 2016 election through "obstruction of justice."{{cite news |title=Democrat rips Meadows' Rosenstein threat as 'obstruction of justice' |url=https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/four-seasons-politics/7145-democrat-rips-meadows-justice-threat-as-obstruction-of-justice.html |newspaper=Hendersonville Lightning |location=Hendersonville, North Carolina |access-date=August 1, 2018}}

• List of alleged Georgia election racketeers

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |last1=Meadows |first1=Mark |title=The Chief's Chief |date=December 7, 2021 |publisher=All Seasons Press |isbn=978-1-7374785-2-2 |language=en }}
• {{cite press release |last1=Burke |first1=Louise |last2=Hartson |first2=Kate |date=June 15, 2021 |title=New publishing house to reject cancel culture and celebrate American ideals |publisher=All Seasons Press |url=https://www.allseasonspress.com/articles/press-release-all-seasons-press/ |access-date=December 2, 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202173153/https://www.allseasonspress.com/articles/press-release-all-seasons-press/ |archive-date=December 2, 2021 }}
• {{cite magazine |last=Anderson |first=Porter |date=June 16, 2021 |title=New US political publisher, All Season Press, announces opening |magazine=Publishing Perspectives |url=https://publishingperspectives.com/2021/06/new-us-conservative-publisher-all-season-press-announces-opening/ |access-date=December 2, 2021 |quote=Publishers formerly with Hachette and Simon & Schuster open politically conservative All Seasons Press 'to take head-on the cancel culture' decried by Trump's advocates.}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Wikiquote}}

• {{C-SPAN|67210}}
• {{CongLinks | congbio=M001187 | votesmart=136459 | fec=H2NC11080 | congress=mark-meadows/2142}}
• {{IMDb name|id=7684212|name=Mark Meadows}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRjRNwgdyPE Mark Meadow's Commencement address at Patrick Henry College]

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Category:1959 births

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Category:21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives