(Photo : Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IOWA - OCTOBER 09: Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on October 09, 2021 in Des Moines, Iowa. This is Trump's first rally in Iowa since the 2020 election.
Donald Trump won't push through with his Jan. 6 press conference to commemorate the Capitol riot amid fears that he won't get enough TV coverage.
According to reports, the ex-POTUS was scheduled to host the press conference from his home in Mar-a-Lago, and other officials like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will also appear on a split-screen.
Donald Trump releases statement
But just two days before the virtual event, Trump made his surprise announcement through his post-presidency PAC.
"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 -It will be a big crowd!" he said via the Huffington Post.
Following his announcement, reporter Maggie Haberman claimed that Trump's advisers urged him not to push through with the press conference because most TV stations won't likely cover his speech live.
Sean Hannity urged to cooperate in the Capitol riot investigation
Trump's announcement also came in the heels of the House select committee urging Fox News host Sean Hannity to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
Text messages sent by Hannity revealed that he expressed some concerns ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. In one of his text messages, he specifically said that he's worried about the next 48 hours.
He also told Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, that he doesn't see the Jan. 6 Capitol riot happening the way it's being discussed.
The Fox News host also, sarcastically, encouraged Trump to accept his defeat and return home to Florida so that he could watch Biden fail as president every single day.
Last month, Hannity's name was also dragged into the ongoing investigations after his text message to Meadows was also released, according to Yahoo! News.
In his text, he urged Meadows to instruct Trump to talk to his supporters via a telecast and force them to return home in peace. However, the ex-POTUS did not do as he was told.
US Capitol police chief talks about their preparations
Instead, Trump reportedly watched the riot unfold on television while he was in the dining room of the White House.
The upcoming first anniversary of the Capitol riot has also forced some of those involved to detail their harrowing experiences.
US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said they wouldn't be taking any chance, especially on Jan. 6. After all, his task is to protect the building where members of Congress report for work.
Manger also said that his agency is now in a much better position to protect the US Capitol. After all, Biden just signed a law that would allow the Capitol police chief to contact the National Guard in case of an emergency.
When asked how the officers' morale was ahead of the Capitol riot anniversary, Manger said that it's different for everyone. After all, some officers got hurt during the riot but are now back to work. And there are also those who were killed or committed suicide due to the trauma they experienced, according to WTOP.
Related Article: Conservative Attorney Warns Americans Against Donald Trump Staging a Coup in 2024, Says Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Was Just a Rehearsal
