Trump thinks ‘Justice for J6’ rally organized by his ex-staffer is a setup: report

Donald Trump is worried about a Saturday rally in support of those arrested during the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters seeking to overturn the election.

"Mr. Trump, aides said, has little interest in engaging with the protest and has no plans to be anywhere near Washington on Saturday," The New York Timesreported Wednesday. "Instead, his schedule includes a golf tournament at his Bedminster, N.J., club before he heads back down to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to people familiar with his schedule."

"Mr. Trump views the planned protest as a setup that the news media will use against him regardless of the outcome," the newspaper reported, citing "people familiar with his thinking."

The rally, being organized for former Trump campaign operative Matt Braynard, will backfire on Republicans, according to GOP strategist John Feehery.

"Anytime the attention is on Joe Biden it's good for Republicans, and anytime the attention is on Jan. 6 it's bad for Republicans," Feehery said. "The only hope Democrats have of keeping the House is to make Jan. 6 the issue of the campaign. They know that, and we know that. The only people who don't seem to know that are the activists."

Congressional candidates Mike Collins and Joe Kent are scheduled to attend, the rally organizer announced on Twitter.