With the November election less than 60 days away, there have been concerted efforts within Donald Trump's campaign to dial back any mention of the Jan. 6 insurrection over fears it could drive away mainstream Republicans and independents.
According to a report from the New York Times' Charles Homans and Alan Feuer, there is a divide among conservatives about any hot-button comments about the riot that sent lawmakers fleeing for their lives even though it animates the former president's most ardent supporters.
As the Times report notes, Trump himself recently slipped up when asked about the attack on the Capitol — first saying “we didn't do – ” when talking about the rioters before correcting himself with "This group of people that have been treated so badly.”
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The report notes "as he courts voters beyond his loyal base ahead of the November election, he and his campaign have engaged in an awkward push and pull over how closely to associate with the riot’s legacy. A recording of jailed Jan. 6 defendants singing the national anthem no longer plays at his rallies," before adding that polling shows Republicans would rather he leave talking about the insurrection behind.
"Republican voters have told pollsters that they would prefer not to talk about the episode. Another CBS News/YouGov poll taken early in the Republican primary contest last year found that a large majority of likely Republican primary voters — 60 percent — wanted a presidential candidate who would not comment on Jan. 6 at all, rather than either supporting or criticizing the rioters," the Times is reporting.
According to conservative activist Julie Kelly, "Jan. 6 is an issue that excites the base, which is why they all keep bringing it up. But in the end, no one wants to come on too strong supporting these people.”
The report also notes that Trump's gatekeepers made efforts to make sure the Jan. 6 riot was not placed front and center at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
According to attorney Joseph McBride who has represented several Jan. 6 defendants, efforts he made to have their plight mentioned at the RNC were rebuffed.
McBride claims "... he reached out to a group of people he described as being 'one phone call away' from Mr. Trump, hoping to convince the former president to have a speaker at the convention who could talk about the plight of the rioters. But that did not happen, Mr. McBride said, largely because Trump’s campaign advisers did not want too much focus on the Capitol attack at the event."
“They have made a conscious effort to pivot away from Jan. 6,” he explained.
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