Donald Trump Hosting Jan. 6 Awards Gala Sparks Fury: ‘Absolutely Horrid’

A January 6 “awards gala” is due to be hosted at Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf resort, and the former president is listed as an “invited guest speaker,” along with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.
The event, in Bedminster, has sparked outrage on social media. One former Republican White House official branded it “absolutely horrid,” accusing Trump of “glorifying violence.”
On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed Congress in a bid to prevent Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory from being certified, following a rally addressed by the then president who made discredited claims of election fraud. In the ensuing violence one demonstrator, 36-year-old Ashli Babbitt, was shot dead by police, five other deaths were linked to the mayhem, and many police and demonstrators were injured.
The gala is being organized by Stand in the Gap, a group formed to support “January 6th defendants and their families during their time in incarceration,” and is being held on Thursday September 5. More than 1,200 people were charged over their alleged involvement in the Capitol riot, and more than 460 were sentenced to prison.
According to Stand in the Gap the “unforgettable evening” is being held to “honor and celebrate the twenty defendants who contributed to the powerful Justice For All song,” along with “all J6 defendants who have shown incredible courage and sacrifice.”
Justice For All is a song released by the January 6 Choir, which features prisoners incarcerated over their role in the chaos singing the national anthem, interspaced with Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The song briefly rose to Number 1 on the on the iTunes download chart and was played at Trump rallies across the U.S.
The gala will also function as a fundraiser, and the proceeds will provide “much needed assistance to the January 6 defendants,” according to organizers.
Those attending the event will have the opportunity to win a “signed custom platinum plaque commemorating the Justice for All song,” flagged by organizers as: “A rare opportunity to own a piece of history while making a significant impact on the lives of those who have shown incredible bravery and sacrifice.”
While Trump is listed as an “invited guest speaker” it is unclear whether the Republican presidential candidate will be attending the event in person. Newsweek contacted Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and Stand in the Gap by email, along with the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster via online inquiry form, for comment on Friday outside of regular office hours.
News that a Trump property is hosting a January 6 “awards gala” sparked anger on social media. On X, Olivia Troye, who worked as an adviser to then Vice President Mike Pence and on the White House coronavirus task force, commented: “Trump hosting a Jan. 6 Awards Gala is absolutely horrid. Celebrating the people who endangered the life of his own Vice President & glorifying violence is a dangerous assault on our democracy & a disgraceful rewriting of history. We must all stand together against him.”
Independent media outlet The Tennessee Holler shared an invite for the event adding: “This is real. He has no remorse about that dark day.”
John Avlon, who is standing as the Democratic Party candidate for New York’s First Congressional District, branded the event “insane.”
Trump has been criminally indicted over claims he broke the law attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election result both nationwide and in the state of Georgia specifically. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies any wrongdoing.