Sen. Lindsey Graham advised former President Donald Trump not to hold a press conference on Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Graham told Trump during a weekend round of golf that “there could be peril in doing a news conference” and advised him to “focus on election reform instead,” according to Axios.
The South Carolina Republican was not alone in his suggestion that Trump reconsider his planned press conference. Fox News host Laura Ingraham, also a Trump ally, suggested on her show Monday night that the former president should look to other dates to deliver remarks.
TRUMP CANCELS JAN. 6 PRESS CONFERENCE AT MAR-A-LAGO
“President Trump has decided to can do a rally on January 6th, given all the emotion and the lies about what happened,” she told guest Rep. Jim Banks. “Is it smart for President Trump to do a rally on that particular day versus next week or the week before?”
Banks appeared to support the press conference, suggesting Trump had “important things to say.”
Trump said Tuesday he was canceling the event, a reversal from his announcement of the planned press conference on Dec. 21. He said he canceled it because of the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 and the media. Instead, he will hold a rally in Arizona on Jan. 15, in which he will discuss “many of those important topics.”
In his initial announcement for the press conference, he cast doubt on the 2020 election results and criticized Republicans who did not support him.
“Remember, the insurrection took place on November 3rd, it was the completely unarmed protest of the rigged election that took place on January 6th,” he said in a statement.
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Congressional Democrats are set to hold commemorative services Thursday for the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The planned services include a panel session with historians, reflections from members of Congress, and a prayer vigil.
Steve Bannon, a key Trump ally, similarly announced plans to hold a special edition of his War Room podcast with Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz on Thursday. Bannon was held in contempt of Congress in October for failing to comply with a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee.
