Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), and other allies are planning a propaganda campaign against the 1/6 Committee hearings.
Trump and his inner circle will rely heavily on members of Congress — from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) — to drive counterprogramming, sources familiar with their planning tell Axios.
- Trump himself has not ruled out making some sort of an appearance, one of the sources says.
- People close to Trump have been working closely with members of Congress, the RNC, and outside groups like the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to collaborate on their offensive narrative.
Matt Schlapp, former Trump White House political director and chairman of CPAC, has been a leader in the effort, sources say.
What kind of appearance can Donald Trump make? He has no platform. Is he going to go on Fox and Friends or Hannity and rant for an hour to an audience that already loves him?
Trump won’t leave the conservative media bubble out of fear of the kinds of questions that he would be asked by an objective journalist, and one can rule out a Trump press conference for the same reason.
The 1/6 Committee has also subpoenaed the people most willing to engage in a propaganda campaign for Trump to answer questions about their role in Trump’s coup plot.
It is difficult to see the propaganda campaign as being effective against the hearings. Trump’s effort is most likely intended to keep Republican voters in line. McCarthy, Trump, Jordan, and the rest don’t want to risk their voters being exposed to the facts and evidence surrounding 1/6.
The 1/6 Committee’s platform will be so large that it is hard to imagine the pleas of Trump and co-conspirators will break through.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association