Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville through a spokeswoman Tuesday denied meeting with the then-director of the Republican Attorneys General Association and others inside Trump’s private residence at the Trump International Hotel on Jan. 5 — on the eve of the deadly U.S. Capitol attack.
But a photo posted to social media appears to show Tuberville in the hotel’s lobby that day, and a company CEO in a separate post describes meeting with Tuberville and others at the hotel that day and discussing “illegal votes.”
Charles W. Herbster, who was then the national chairman of the Agriculture and Rural Advisory Committee in Trump’s administration, in a Facebook post at 8:33 p.m. on Jan. 5 said that he was standing “in the private residence of the President at Trump International with the following patriots who are joining me in a battle for justice and truth.”
Among the attendees, according to Herbster’s post, were Tuberville, former RAGA director Adam Piper, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Trump’s former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, adviser Peter Navarro, Trump’s 2016 campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and 2016 deputy campaign manager David Bossie.
Tuberville, through a spokeswoman Tuesday, told APR that he did not attend a Jan. 5 meeting at the Trump International Hotel in Washington.
A photo posted to an Instagram user’s account appears to show Tuberville standing in the lobby of the Trump International Hotel on Jan. 5. The user captioned the photo “Newly elected Senator Tommy Tuberville.” In two other separate photos, the person posted images of Flynn and Donald Trump Jr. inside the hotel on Jan. 5. Attempts to reach the person who posted that photo were unsuccessful Tuesday.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville inside the lobby of the Trump International Hotel on Jan. 5, according to an Instagram post. (VIA INSTAGRAM)
In two separate Instagram photos, a person posted images of Flynn and Donald Trump Jr. inside the hotel on Jan. 5. (VIA INSTAGRAM)
In two separate Instagram photos, a person posted images of Flynn and Donald Trump Jr. inside the hotel on Jan. 5. (VIA INSTAGRAM)
Daniel Beck, CEO of an Idaho technology company, in a Facebook post at 10:27 p.m. on Jan. 5 wrote that he’d spent the evening with Tuberville, Trump Jr. and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, Michael J. Lindell, Navarro and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.
He wrote: “The Trump hotel is Amazing!! Fifteen of us spent the evening with Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Tommy Tuberville, Michael J. Lindell, Peter Navarro, and Rudy Giuliani. We talked about the elections, illegal votes, court cases, the republics’ status, what to expect on the hill tomorrow. TRUMP WILL RETAIN THE PRESIDENCY!!!”
Daniel Beck, CEO of an Idaho technology company, in a Facebook post at 10:27 p.m. on Jan. 5 wrote that he’d spent the evening with Tuberville and others. (VIA FACEBOOK)
A commenter on Beck’s post wrote: “My God look at what is happening now at the Capital. Is this what America has become. These are NOT Democrats doing this. So our Senate and House are under lockdown. Is this what all you discussed at your meeting?” Beck responded: “not at all.”
APR‘s attempts to reach Beck on Tuesday evening were also unsuccessful.
Herbster attended the Jan. 6 rally but said he left before the riot, according to The Omaha World-Herald. The newspaper also reported that Herbster “also met Tuesday in Trump’s private residence in his Washington, D.C., hotel with Trump’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, and other campaign advisers.”
“They discussed how to pressure more members of Congress to object to the Electoral College results that made Joe Biden the winner,” The Omaha World-Herald reported.
The Jan. 5 meeting, as discussed in the Facebook post, was first reported by journalist Seth Abramson on Tuesday.
APR sent questions to a Tuberville spokesperson Tuesday afternoon asking whether Tuberville had attended a Jan. 5 meeting with Trump, Piper and several others at Trump’s hotel, and if so, why was he called to the meeting and what was discussed. The Tuberville spokeswoman replied in an email: “the answers to your questions are No and Not Applicable.” Attempts to contact Herbster on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
Herbster deleted his Facebook post after APR’s story published Tuesday evening, and it’s not clear from the post if Trump attending the Jan. 5 meeting, whether in person or by phone, that Herbster said he attended. Herbster later on Tuesday evening put his post back up.
APR’s questions to Tuberville’s spokeswoman later on Tuesday clarifying that point, and asking whether Tuberville had met with Piper and others that night at the hotel, weren’t immediately answered. APR also sent the spokeswoman screenshots of the photo of Tuberville in the hotel’s lobby that day and of the Facebook post detailing the meeting. APR hadn’t received a response as of Wednesday morning.
