Former President Trump cancels Jan. 6 press conference at Mar-a-Lago

Former President Donald Trump announced he was canceling a planned press conference in his Mar-a-Lago resort home in Palm Beach on Thursday, which marks the one year anniversary of the deadly riot on the U.S. Capitol building.

In a press release, Trump blamed the cancellation on “the total bias and dishonesty of the January 6th Unselect Committee of Democrats, two failed Republicans, and the Fake News Media.”

Trump was expected to talk about what he has falsely claimed for over a year was a widespread election fraud scheme that led to him losing the 2020 election, and characterizing the Jan. 6 events as rightful protests of “a rigged election.” As part of Trump’s efforts to maintain influence over the Republican Party, his allies around the country have continued to pressure state officials to audit election results, including in Florida, a state Trump won decisively.

He said he will instead address “important topics” at a Jan. 15th rally in Arizona.

Democratic leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have already announced plans to commemorate the Jan. 6 incidents, where hundreds of Trump supporters incited by conspiracies of a stolen election sought to overturn the results as members of Congress voted to certify the election results.

President Joe Biden is also expected to give a speech on the morning of the anniversary.