Fact Check: Claims Mark Meadows 'Wore a Wire' to Spy on Trump for FBI

Donald Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows caught the attention of conservatives this week after reportedly being granted immunity by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is investigating the former president for election interference.

ABC News reported Meadows had told investigators how he warned Trump that claims the 2020 presidential election was rigged were without foundation.

As speculation swirls as to what Meadows could say, an explosive rumor that he wore a wire while working for Trump spread across social media.

The Claim

A post on X, formerly Twitter, by conservative pundit Ryan Fournier, on October 26, 2023, stated: "BREAKING: Allegedly Mark Meadows worked for the FBI as an informant and wore a wire to record all conversations with President Trump, while he was the Chief of Staff to him.

"This is not only unconstitutional, but it's criminal. This is the government we live with. It's up to us to change that."

The Facts

Fournier's claim was viewed millions of times and shared widely by conservative commentators.

On Tuesday, NewsMax repeated the claim to Trump ally and Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan during a live interview.

Host Eric Bolling told Jordan: "There's been reports, there's been a lot of scuttle that Mark Meadows, former chief of staff to Trump may have at one point worn a wire while he was chief of staff.

"I know Mark very well, you know Mark, you're good friends, I just don't believe any of this," Bolling added.

"Do you know anything about this? Has he turned on Trump? Can you tell us what you know?"

Jordan replied that he "didn't believe Mark would do that."

As it turns out, the claim is bogus, as stated by Fournier himself.

In a post on October 27, 2023, Fournier wrote: "Yesterday I put up a tweet alleging that Mark Meadows wore a wire in the White House during the last stretch.

"I've spoken with some of my sources again, and now it seems that information was wrong and incorrect. In fact, two of them retracted their statements on the matter entirely.

"I apologize for putting something out without it not being 100% accurate. That's on me and I'll do better next time. I also apologize to Congressman Meadows, and his staff for having to field questions on the issue.

"There seems to be some dark forces behind the scenes trying to get Meadows, and to me that is very problematic, especially when it seems like it's being sent through the grapevines by some of our own."

Fournier has also alleged that former "former Rep Mark Walker" was the original source.

Newsweek has contacted Fournier via X to clarify that he was referring to former North Carolina Republican Representative Mark Walker.

Walker, who was representative for North Carolina's 6th congressional district from 2015 to 2021, told the Associated Press earlier this week that he was dropping out of the Republican primary for governor to win back his seat in the House.

Newsweek has contacted Walker's gubernatorial campaign via email for comment.

Fournier later added he had "no clue" if Walker was the original source "in terms of the knowledge on its face, or if he heard it from someone else."

"Walker is a good man. Don't get me wrong on that," Fournier said.

"I think a lot of people got lied to about this. And unfortunately my tweet was the one viewed by millions when it turned out to be not true. Again, I am sorry."

The original post about Meadows by Fournier has since been deleted.

Fournier has not named his other alleged sources. Newsweek has contacted a representative for Mark Meadows, Donald Trump, and the FBI via email for comment.

Prosecutors have recently asked a judge to reimpose a gag order against Donald Trump after the former president allegedly wrote "threatening" messages about Mark Meadows.

The prosecution team asked Washington D.C.-based judge, Tanya Chutkan, to reimpose a gagging order in Trump's federal election interference case and accused him of taking advantage of a stay in the order to spread negative messages about Meadows and others.

The Ruling

False.

Ryan Fournier, who alleged Meadows had worn a wire, has now said the claim was "wrong and incorrect."

Fournier stated two of his "sources" had "retracted their statements on the matter entirely." The conservative pundit apologized to Meadows via social media.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team