“The ‘Justice for J6’ rally, to be held at noon on Saturday at the foot of Capitol Hill, has created a predicament for Republicans, who are caught between a hard-right base including many voters who consider the rioters righteous and a desire to distance themselves from the attack and its political fallout. In shunning the event, Republicans are following the lead of Trump himself, who has been uncharacteristically silent about it even though he has in the past defended the mob.”
“Trump, aides said, has little interest in engaging with the protest and has no plans to be anywhere near Washington on Saturday. Instead, his schedule includes a golf tournament at his Bedminster, NJ, club before he heads back down to Mar-a-Lago in Florida, according to people familiar with his schedule. Trump views the planned protest as a setup that the news media will use against him regardless of the outcome, according to people familiar with his thinking” – New York Times.