In response to a “J6 Awards Gala” hosted at Donald Trump’s golf club scheduled for tonight being postponed as Trump continues to celebrate insurrectionists and promise them pardons, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“If you needed more proof that Donald Trump is still threatening our democracy, look no further than Trump happily agreeing to hand over his golf club to an awards gala meant to ‘pay tribute’ to the January 6 insurrectionists who violently attacked the Capitol. Now, Trump’s MAGA allies are scrambling to protect him as he continues to promise pardons for January 6 rioters, spews baseless lies about his 2020 election loss, and casts doubt on this November’s election results. Gala or not, Trump will be held accountable in November for his dangerous and undemocratic extremism and his Project 2025 plans to further attack our democracy.”

A fundraiser for January 6 rioters scheduled to be hosted tonight at Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club was indefinitely postponed.

New York Times: “Fund-Raiser for Jan. 6 Rioters at Trump’s Golf Club Is Postponed”

“The event’s location, Mr. Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, N.J., highlighted the former president’s attempts to normalize the events of Jan. 6, including by often praising those who took part in the Capitol attack. … Even though the future of the event is now in doubt, it was in keeping with Mr. Trump’s persistent efforts to rewrite the history of Jan. 6.”

Trump continues to celebrate and promise pardons for January 6 insurrectionists, who he calls “hostages” and “patriots”…

Washington Post: “Trump vows pardons, government apology to Capitol rioters if elected”

Rachel Scott, ABC News: “140 police officers were assaulted [on January 6]. Their injuries included broken bones, at least one officer lost an eye, one had two cracked ribs, two smashed spinal discs, another had a stroke. Were the people who assaulted those 140 officers, including those I just mentioned, ‘patriots’ who deserve pardons?”

[Trump refuses to answer]

Scott: “But sir, my question is on those rioters who assaulted officers. Would you pardon those people?”

Donald Trump: “Oh absolutely I would. If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.”

Scott: “They’ve been convicted.”

Trump: “Those people were treated very harshly… nobody was killed on January 6. But I think that the people of January 6 were treated very unfairly… they were there to complain about an election, and you know it’s very interesting, the biggest crowd I’ve ever spoken to.”

The Hill: “Trump describes imprisoned Jan. 6 rioters as ‘hostages’”

TIME: “Trump has sought to recast the insurrectionist riot as an act of patriotism. ‘I call them the J-6 patriots,’ Trump tells TIME. When asked whether he would consider pardoning every one of them, he says: ‘Yes, absolutely.’”

NBC News: “Former President Donald Trump promised Wednesday night that if he is elected he will pardon a ‘large portion’ of the people convicted of federal offenses for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.”

Trump: “January 6, it was the largest crowd I’ve ever spoken to. And they were there proud, they were there with love in their heart. That was an unbelievable — and it was a beautiful day.”

…while his running mate JD Vance downplays the violence on January 6.

The Hill: “JD Vance says he is ‘skeptical’ Pence’s life was in danger on Jan. 6”

Politico: “[Vance] downplayed the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, when Pence was forced to evacuate the building as rioters called for his hanging.”

Trump is still pushing lies about his loss by over 7 million votes in the 2020 election. Vance is right there with him – they are both casting doubt on this November’s results.

New York Times: “[Trump] has baselessly and publicly cast doubt about the fairness of the 2024 election about once a day, on average, since he announced his candidacy for president.”

Associated Press: “[Trump] is flooding the airwaves and his social media platform with distortions, misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories about his defeat.”

NBC News: “Re-litigating the 2020 election, repeating false claims it was stolen and casting aspersions on the security of mail voting remain major fixtures for [Trump] on the stump. … He regularly refers to the 2020 election as ‘rigged’ on his social media channels.”

HuffPost: “[Vance] said he would accept a Biden win only if he considered the election to be legitimate. … Vance’s comments illustrate a new tactic by Republican lawmakers, who are now placing conditions on accepting election results.”

New York Times: “J.D. Vance Says He Would Accept the Election Results, With a Caveat”

Vance: “I think the entire post-2020 thing would have gone a lot better if there had actually been an effort to provide alternative slates of electors, and to force us to have that debate. I think it would’ve been a much better thing for the country. … [Trump] was trying to take a constitutional process to its natural conclusion.

“I think it would’ve been extraordinarily disappointing to a whole host of people that I care a lot about if Trump had just taken it [and conceded the 2020 election before January 6].”

Vance: “No real Republican with any credibility in the party is still blaming [Trump for January 6].”

ABC News: “JD Vance says [he] wouldn’t have certified 2020 race until states submitted pro-Trump electors”

New York Times: “[Vance] has said that, unlike Vice President Mike Pence in 2020, he would have helped Mr. Trump overturn the results, by accepting Trump electors that had not been elected by voters.”

Trump, who is vowing to be a dictator on “day one,” told voters they “won’t have to vote anymore” if he’s elected president. 

The Atlantic: “Trump Says He’ll Be a Dictator on ‘Day One’”

Trump: “You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what – it will be fixed, it will be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore.”

Vance has no problem with the idea of Trump using the government to go after his political opponents — even as Trump echoes dictators and warns of a “bloodbath” if he loses in November.

Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN: “Many people have lost American presidential elections over the last 230 years – Trump is the only one to say about violence if he loses ‘it depends.’”

NBC News: “Trump says there will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses the election”

Kristen Welker, NBC: “Senator, if former President Trump were to win, if you were to be his vice president, would you support him appointing a special prosecutor to go after his political enemies, the Bidens?”

[…]

Vance: “Donald Trump is talking about appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Joe Biden for wrongdoing.

[…]

“I think what Donald Trump is simply saying is we ought to investigate the prior administration.”

Associated Press: “Trump declines to rule out abusing power to seek retribution if he returns to the White House”

Washington Post: “Trump calls political enemies ‘vermin,’ echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini”

The Guardian: “Donald Trump says he will lock up his political enemies if he is president again.”