Donald Trump Cancels Jan. 6 Anniversary Press Conference

Anders HagstromJanuary 4, 2022

Former President Donald Trump canceled plans to hold a press conference at Mar-a-Lago marking the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol late Tuesday.

Trump made the announcement in a formal statement, arguing that the Congressional Select Committee investigation Jan. 6 was conducting a “dishonest” inquiry. Trump said he will instead address the storming of the Capitol during his rally on Saturday. The press conference had been scheduled for Thursday. (RELATED: CNN Floats 11 Democratic Candidates Who Could Replace Biden In 2024)

“In light of the total bias and dishonesty of the January 6th Unselect Committee of Democrats, two failed Republicans, and the Fake News Media, I am canceling the January 6th Press Conference at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, and instead will discuss many of those important topics at my rally on Saturday, January 15th, in Arizona,” Trump wrote, going on to claim that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi denied requests to use the National Guard to defend the Capitol leading up to the incident.

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, breaking windows and clashing with police officers. Trump supporters gathered in the nation’s capital today to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over President Trump in the 2020 election. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

“Why will Crazy Nancy Pelosi not provide her communications with the House Sergeant-at-Arms and the House Chief Administrative Officer, or promise to retain these vital messages, which many feel she has already destroyed—perhaps illegally?” he continued.

Trump’s press conference would have competed with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ own plans to mark the anniversary of the riot. Biden has repeatedly called the riot one of “the darkest days” for American democracy. Both the Biden and Harris are scheduled to deliver remarks sometime Thursday.

The J6 Committee has considered subpoenaing Republican members of Congress who were in communication with organizers of the Trump rally that preceded the riot. The most likely subjects of subpoenas would be Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, who have already been contacted by the committee regarding their communications.

“If we have the authority, and the lawyers are still looking at it, to pursue it, then we’ll do it,” chairman and Democratic Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson told The Washington Post in late December.