Trump Calls Off Press Conference On Capitol Attack Anniversary

Topline

Former President Donald Trump cancelled a Thursday press conference marking the one-year anniversary of the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, after some Republicans criticized his plan to use the Mar-a-Lago event to level unfounded election fraud claims.

Key Facts

Trump said in a statement Tuesday the cancellation was due to the “total bias and dishonesty” of a House committee investigating the events of January 6, 2021, as well as the “Fake News Media.”

Last month, Trump scheduled the press conference to take place at his Mar-a-lago resort in Florida, intending to attack Republicans who did not endorse his false voter fraud claims.

Trump said Tuesday  he will instead discuss the subject during a January 15 rally in Arizona.

Key Background

Trump has consistently downplayed the Capitol riot and criticized the House committee’s investigation into the attack over the last year, claiming the root cause of the insurrection was to protest a “rigged” election. A request from the committee to view Trump Administration documents awaits a Supreme Court ruling after Trump sued to block their release, and Trump has often derided the group as the “Unselect Committee” and questioned the intentions of the two Republicans on the panel, Reps. Liz Cheney (Wy.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.). Trump has also referred to the rioters as “great people” and voiced his support for Ashli Babbitt, a rioter who was fatally shot by police while inside the Capitol.

Crucial Quote

Trump continued to advance his false assertions about the 2020 election in the Tuesday statement: “Also, why is the primary reason for the people coming to Washington D.C., which is the fraud of the 2020 Presidential Election, not the primary topic of the Unselect Committee’s investigation? This was, indeed, the Crime of the Century.” 

Chief Critic

Trump’s planned press conference was denounced by several Republicans in Congress. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) said Tuesday, “Early assumptions are that it’s going to be an aggressive statement. I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” while Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) agreed it wasn’t a “terribly good idea.”

Further Reading

Trump cancels Jan. 6 event amid GOP complaints (Politico)

Trump cancels Florida press conference scheduled for Jan. 6 (Associated Press)