It was unclear why Trump canceled the event, which had originally been announced on Dec. 21. In a statement, the former Republican president blamed what he called the "bias and dishonesty" of the House of Representatives probe of the riot, as well as the news media, a favorite target.
"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’s announcement is good news for Senate Republicans, who earlier in the day expressed worry that he would pull their party back into debating his false election claims.
“I don't think that's a good idea,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), when asked about the press conference earlier Tuesday. “I guess it depends on what he's going to say. But early assumptions are that it's going to be an aggressive statement. I just don't think it's a good idea.”
Similarly, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said she wanted to “stay focused on congressional activities." Also, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who voted to convict Trump over his role in the Capitol riot, said the event wasn’t a “terribly good idea,” but added, "What am I going to do about it?”
A majority of Americans, 60 percent, said Trump's level of responsibility for the attack was either a "great deal" or a "good amount," showed a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll on Saturday.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will speak about the attack on Thursday, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has scheduled a series of events to mark the anniversary.
"The president is going to speak to the truth of what happened, not the lies that some have spread since, and the peril it has posed to the rule of law and our system of democratic governance," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday, in the first preview of Biden's remarks.
During the Jan. 6 riot, thousands of Donald Trump’s supporters attacked police, vandalized the Capitol and sent members of Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence running for their lives on that day.
Democrats have been arguing that the riot was an insurrection based on disinformation spread by Trump, who alleges that he is the true victor of the 2020 presidential election and not Joe Biden.
ZZ/PR
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