Jan. 6 ringleaders sitting out protests over looming Trump indictment
Some of the key figures in the protests that turned into the Jan. 6 insurrection don't plan on taking any action against Donald Trump's likely indictment in New York.
The former president expects to face charges as soon as Tuesday in connection with a hush money payout to porn actress Stormy Daniels, but few of his more prominent supporters have taken up his call for protests or other actions against the possibility of his indictment by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg Jr.'s office, reported the Associated Press.
"If you protest in New York City, you will be in the single most hostile jurisdiction in the United States," tweeted "Stop the Steal" organizer Ali Alexander. "There is no law and order. You have no liberty or rights there. You will be jailed or worse. Godspeed if this is your calling."
Alexander added that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, one of his allies in the "Stop the Steal" campaign, had told him that he would not take any action if Trump was charged.
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“We’ve both got enough going on fighting the government,” Alexander wrote. “No billionaire is covering our bills."
Right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer announced Saturday that she was organizing a pro-Trump rally outside Mar-a-Lago, reported the New York Times, but hours later deleted the tweet and instead encouraged supporters to attend his rally in Texas.
"Because I don’t want there to be any issues, upon further thought, it’s best people don’t show up to rally in front of Mar a Lago on Tuesday," Loomer tweeted. "I have deleted the rally post, & I believe it’s best for people to promote President Trump’s first official 2024 rally in Waco instead."
House speaker Kevin McCarthy has vowed to conduct a congressional investigation of Bragg's decision to charge Trump, but he stopped short of echoing the former president's call for protests.
“I don’t think people should protest this," McCarthy said. "I think President Trump, when you talk to him, he doesn’t think that, either."