SALT LAKE CITY — Messages obtained by CNN show texts between Utah Sen. Mike Lee and President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows in which the two discuss the administration's attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

On Dec. 8, 2020, Lee floated the idea of some states sending Electoral College delegates contrary to the verified ballot counts.

"If a very small handful of states were to have their legislatures appoint alternative slates of delegates, there could be a path," Lee wrote.

But almost a month later on Jan. 3, 2021, Lee expressed frustration with the president.

"I don’t think the president is grasping the distinction between what we can do and what he would like us to do," expressed Lee, who also sent the following message:

"Again, all of this could change if the states in question certified Trump electors pursuant to state law. But in the absence of that, this effort is destined not only to fail, but to hurt DJT in the process."

The very next day, Trump seemingly responded to Lee's texts at a rally the two attended in Georgia.

“Mike Lee is here too, but I am a little angry at him today,” the former president said.

Trump's comment drew a text response to Meadows from Lee.

"I’ve been spending 14 hours a day for the last week trying to unravel this for him. To have him take a shot at me like that in such a public setting without even asking me about it is pretty discouraging," messaged Lee. "It’s not your fault. But I’ve been calling state legislators for hours today, and am going to spend hours doing the same tomorrow. I’m trying to figure out a path that I can persuasively defend, and this won’t make it any easier."

Lee, who faces reelection this year, did not personally respond to the texts, but his office sent a statement.

"The text messages tell the same story Sen. Lee told from the floor of the senate the day he voted to certify the election results of each and every state in the nation. They tell the story of a U.S. senator fulfilling his duty to Utah and the American people by following the Constitution," his office said.

The main candidates running against Lee reacted to the story.

"It's sad to read that. I want senators from either party to put country ahead of partisan divides and in this case, it looks like he literally wants to be Trump's lawyer," said Kael Weston. "It's sad. It's not right."

In a tweet, challenger Evan McMullen called Lee’s actions a spurious legal effort to overturn the 2020 election.

This article was written by John Franchi for KSTU.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Protests are being planned for Jan. 6 in support of President Donald Trump and his continued attempts to overturn the election results.

Trump tweeted Friday that “The BIG Protest Rally” will take place in Washington D.C. starting at 11 a.m. EST on Wednesday, the day Congress will convene to certify the Electoral College votes and solidify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.

Trump has continued to spread his false claims that the presidential election was stolen from him, alleging mass voter fraud without providing proof. Nearly all of his legal actions attempting to sway the results have failed.

The BIG Protest Rally in Washington, D.C., will take place at 11.00 A.M. on January 6th. Locational details to follow. StopTheSteal!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2021

The Washington Post reports that four different rallies are scheduled so far, and they’ll reportedly be headlined by some of Trump’s most fervent supporters, like George Papadopoulous and Roger Stone, who were recently pardoned by the president.

According to USA Today, federal and local law enforcement are bracing for the protests, which The Post says could turn violent. In online chats, the newspaper reports supporters have described smuggling guns into D.C. and setting up a possible “army encampment.”

Several different far-right groups have said they will attend these demonstrations, including the Proud Boys and white supremacist organizations, The Post reports.

The effort to overturn the Electoral College votes is far-fetched though.

Congress will likely vote on the matter, since GOP lawmakers in both the House and Senate plan to object to the certification. However, both chambers must agree, which is unlikely to happen, since the House is controlled by the Democrats and multiple Republicans in the Senate have acknowledged Biden’s win.