Donald Trump has repeatedly leapt to the defense of his supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, so it’s odd that he’s had so little to say about Saturday’s planned rally in support of riot defendants. However, The New York Times has an explanation. Citing sources close to the ex-president, the newspaper reports Trump is concerned that the Sept. 18 rally is nothing but a “setup” designed to damage his stellar reputation. The Times states that Trump is fearful that the press will use the rally against him “regardless of the outcome,” so he intends to spent his day far from the event and will attend a golf tournament at his New Jersey resort instead. According to Reuters, workers began rebuilding a fence around the U.S. Capitol late on Wednesday night ahead of Saturday’s protest. Capitol Police leaders have reportedly asked the Pentagon to have National Guard troops on standby to help control the event.
