Topline

A September fundraiser being hosted at former President Donald Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, will raise proceeds for people facing charges linked to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, though Trump’s attendance at the event is an uncertain matter, with campaign representatives telling multiple outlets he will not be present even though an event organizer told Forbes it is almost certain the former president will show.

Key Facts

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Surprising Fact

The Stand in the Gap Foundation was co-founded by Sarah McAbee, the wife of a former Tennessee sheriff currently serving five years in prison over his involvement in a “prolonged multi-assailant attack on police officers” at the Capitol, The New York Times reported.

Tangent

The event is scheduled the same day U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will decide how to proceed with Trump’s election subversion case after the Supreme Court ruled in July that Trump has some immunity from prosecution for acts he took while he was president.

Key Background

Trump has historically embraced Jan. 6 defendants, describing many as “hostages” and “unbelievable patriots” who should be freed from prison. He has also pledged to free Jan. 6 rioters as one of his first official acts as president if he is elected to a second term in November. More than 1,265 defendants were charged in relation to the Capitol attack as of January 2024, according to the Justice Department, which noted about 749 of those people received sentences. The former president has also played “Justice For All” at some of his events. The song features Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance mixed with about 20 members of the J6 Prison Choir, who recorded their lines from prison phones, singing the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Critics have linked Trump’s incendiary speech on Jan. 6, 2021, with inciting violence, as the former president refused to accept his defeat to President Joe Biden and told his supporters “if you don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore.” The proceeding march and riot at the Capitol resulted in five deaths. Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the election results.

Further Reading

Trump And J6 Prison Choir Track Sells ‘Impressive’ 22,500 Digital Downloads (Forbes)

Trump Hits No. 1 With ‘Justice For All’ Song Made With Jan. 6 Arrestees (Forbes)

Zach Everson contributed to this report.