As of Tuesday, former President Donald Trump has canceled a news conference planned for the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Even members of his own party were relieved, according to NBC News.
“No one understands it,” a former Trump adviser said earlier this week in an interview about why Trump wanted to hold the news conference in the first place. “It's all about his ego.”
Last year, supporters of Trump stormed the Capitol in a violent insurrection. Since, many have been arrested for participating and a House select committee is investigating the event. The committee has interviewed more than 300 witnesses and initiated contempt-of-Congress charges against two of Trump's former top aides. It could conduct public hearings as early as this spring.
“I don't think that's a good idea,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), about Trump's proposed Jan. 6 press conference, according to Politico. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) also seemed to be less than ecstatic about the event, said the outlet.
Trump has said his decision to change course and cancel the meeting is due to the House committee investigating the riot.
“In light of the total bias and dishonesty of the J6 Unselect Committee of Democrats, two failed Republicans, and the Fake News Media, I am canceling the Jan 6th Press Conference at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, and instead will discuss many of those important topics at my rally,” Trump said in a statement.
Trump said he would address the Jan. 6 anniversary at a previously scheduled rally in Arizona on Jan. 15, rather than at a news conference, NBC News reported.
NBC also reported that some people in the Republican party were wary of the former president using the Jan. 6 news conference as a platform to continue promoting his unfounded claims of voter fraud related to the 2020 presidential election. Trump lost the election to current President Joe Biden, who is expected to mark the riot anniversary with a speech.
“It's helpful that Trump has decided not to use this day for hyperbolic political hits, and for the sake of the country, Democrats should do the same,” said a senior Republican aide on Capitol Hill.
Around 60 percent of Americans believe Trump has at least a “good amount” of responsibility for the event, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released Saturday. However, the same survey found that 72% of Republicans and 83% of Trump voters believe he has less responsibility for the riot.
House Republicans are aiming to take control of the House of Representatives after the November midterm elections.
Related
Related
