By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
(NNPA Newswire) – The award for “Most Treasonous Act” goes to…. The “Most Willing to Kill Vice President Mike Pence for President Trump” award goes to…. And the moment we’ve all been waiting for—the award for “Best Insurrectionist and Most Violent Assault on a Police Officer”—goes to… .
In an event that reads like a parody but was all too real, the so-called J6 Awards Gala, meant to honor convicted criminals from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, has been postponed. Just days before the planned ceremony, organizers from the group Stand in the Gap announced that the event, originally scheduled for Sept. 5 at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey, would not go ahead as planned.
The awards ceremony was set to pay tribute to 20 MAGA loyalists, many of whom are currently behind bars. These individuals were part of the violent mob that stormed the Capitol and later recorded a song from jail titled “Justice for All.” The evening was described by organizers as an “unforgettable night,” dedicated to honoring those whom they have labeled as heroes in the aftermath of the insurrection.
Though the event was advertised with Donald Trump listed as an “invited guest,” it was reported by The New York Times that the former president was not expected to attend. Instead, Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani was promoted as a featured guest, along with several right-wing influencers and the families of the imprisoned insurrectionists, referred to by their supporters as “America’s Heroes.”
The gala wasn’t cheap, either. General admission tickets cost $1,500, while VIP tickets, which offered attendees closer proximity to the stage, cost $2,500. The funds raised were intended to support the Jan. 6 defendants, who continue to face significant legal and financial challenges, according to the event’s organizers.
However, the gala’s postponement came as a surprise to many. In late August, Fox Business, part of the Fox News family that had amplified the electoral disinformation that fueled the attack, reported that the event was being delayed due to “scheduling conflicts” with invited guest speakers. Despite that report, which claimed Trump might be in attendance, the gala received little attention from major news outlets.
While the fundraiser has been postponed, Stand in the Gap expressed hope that it would occur after Nov. 5, Election Day.
Trump, the twice impeached and 34 times convicted felon and former president, who has long expressed support for the individuals convicted in connection with the insurrection, has publicly called for their release, referring to them as “hostages.” Prominent MAGA figures such as Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have even visited some of these incarcerated individuals, further cementing their status as martyrs within far-right circles.
Meanwhile, Trump’s legal troubles continue to escalate. The 78-year-old faces sentencing on Sept. 18 for 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records to conceal an alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
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