Trump's planned Jan. 6 speech has top Republicans fretting


Top Republicans are expressing unease after former President Donald Trump announced his plan to deliver a speech on the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in which he will reiterate his baseless claims that Democrats engaged in a widespread campaign of voter fraud to steal the 2020 election.
Republican Senators Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Pat Toomey (Pa.), John Cornyn (Texas), Tim Scott (S.C.), and John Thune (S.D.) all either declined to comment on the upcoming speech or said it would be an unwelcome distraction from more important issues, Politico reported Tuesday.
"I don't think that's a good idea," said Moore Capito. "I think the country has moved on," said Cornyn. Toomey said the event isn't a "terribly good idea," but remarked, "What am I going to do about it?," per Politico.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a frequent critic of the former president, said Sunday on Face the Nation it was "very concerning" but "not surprising" that Trump would continue to repeat claims that "caused violence," Newsweek reported.
Alyssa Farah, who served as director of strategic communications for the Trump administration, told CNN that Jan. 6 would be "a wise day for [Trump] to stay silent."
These remarks are indicative of an ongoing tension within the GOP. Most Republican lawmakers are unwilling to openly defy Trump, who remains a powerful kingmaker and, should he run, the party's likely 2024 nominee. At the same time, many are also hesitant to offer their full-throated support to the former president's stolen election claims.
Trump announced the speech in a Dec. 21 statement posted on his official website, pledging to address the "rigged" election. He also criticized Republicans who refuse to pursue investigations based on his claims of voter fraud. "In many ways a RINO is worse than a Radical Left Democrat," he wrote.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are also scheduled to deliver remarks, doubtless of a very different tenor, on Jan. 6.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Cytomegalovirus can cause permanent birth defects
The Explainer The virus can show no symptoms in adults
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
'The way AI is discussed makes it seem like this is a necessary outcome'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Iran: Is regime change possible?
Feature The U.S.-Israeli attack exposed cracks in Iran's regime
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
How will Trump's megabill affect you?
Today's Big Question Republicans have passed the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling