WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The main event got canceled, but Palm Beach County remains in the spotlight of the Jan. 6 insurrection anniversary.
This morning, supporters of former President Trump are gathering along Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach. This evening, an "anti-Trumpism" candlelight vigil is planned downtown as well, not far from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate across a bridge in Palm Beach.
Both events will be along Southern Boulevard east of I-95 and could impact with rush hour traffic.
The morning kicked off with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in town for a COVID briefing. Asked about the 2021 deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to prevent the electoral vote election of President Joe Biden, DeSantis dismissed the anniversary as "politicized."
U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, said: "One year ago, our country came to the brink of catastrophe as a violent mob incited by then-President Donald Trump assaulted the Capitol trying to stop a peaceful transition of power. Brave Capitol Police stopped the insurrection, and democracy prevailed on that day. We must all commit to truth and accountability, and protection of access to fair and free elections that are run by unbiased officials."
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, issued this statement: "Today we honor all those who sacrificed their life and safety to guarantee that our democracy triumphed one year ago, and we pledge to hold to account all those who sought to subvert our noble American experiment.
"The traitorous Jan. 6th attack was fueled by lies and dishonored every American who gave their life to protect our Constitution, the Rule of Law, and a peaceful transfer of power upon which all democracies rest. The way forward demands that we pick up the mantle of brave patriots who fought to expand and preserve our sacred right to vote, and challenge those who seek to undermine it. It also means that we take steps to ensure that anyone who tried to subvert our democracy, never be in charge of it. I pledge to do just that: defend our democracy."
U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Orlando, who is a candidate for U.S. Senate this year, issued a series of simple tweets saying democracy must be protected.
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, issued a statement calling the attack on U.S. Capitol a year ago one of the "darkest" days in America. Crist is seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, D-Jacksonville, chastised "Republican colleagues who sat back and watched as the president instigated this anarchy." They, he added, "are a part of the problem and have been complicit and should be ashamed of themselves."
Trump canceled his Mar-a-Lago press event, originally scheduled for this evening, but late this morning he rifled off a pair of blistering emails.
In the first, he listed a series of criticisms about the Biden administration and concluded by saying: "The Democrats want to own this day of January 6th so they can stoke fears and divide America. I say, let them have it because America sees through their lies and polarizations."
He continued that theme a short while later in a shorter email that ended with: "That's what you get when you have a rigged Election."
Saying he expected "nauseating" coverage of the anniversary of the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he would tune out news coverage.
"It's interesting how everything in our society becomes very politicized. Honestly I'm not going to watch any of it," he said during a COVID briefing at the Rehabilitation Center of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach.
However, the governor tweeted he had plans for an appearance on Fox News.
The governor also said Democrats and the media will use the events of Jan. 6 to "smear anyone who ever supported Donald Trump." He said national media outlets based in Washington, D.C. and New York City will treat the anniversary like "their Christmas."
He alleged that media coverage of the 2017 shooting at a practice for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity in Alexandria, Virginia was minimal in comparison to the coverage of the 2020 insurrection.
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