Trump's Golf Club to Host Awards Gala Funding for Capitol Rioters, Ex-Staffer Says Its 'Disgraceful'

Former President Donald Trump may be busy campaigning for the 2024 presidential race, but his golf course is set to re-write the horrific Jan. 6 Capitol riots history. Ex-White House staffer Olivia Troye condemned a conservative non-profit for holding an awards gala at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey to fund the violent rioters' legal fees. 

According to the event's sponsor, Stand in the Gap, the gala funding would occur on September 5, 2024. Trump has been invited, but a source close to him told PEOPLE he will not attend. However, his MAGA allies Rudy Giuliani and Anthony Raimondi are mentioned as guest speakers. The gala event hailed rioters for showing "incredible courage and sacrifice," and said they would "honor and celebrate" the 20 defendants who contributed to the song Justice For All along with J6 Prison Choir- a group of men serving jail time for the violent attack. 

Its website reads, "This gala is not just a celebration of the song’s success but also a crucial fundraiser. The funds raised will provide much-needed assistance to the January 6th defendants who continue to face significant challenges." The organization's goal is "to provide unwavering support to January 6th defendants and their families during their time of incarceration, aiming to alleviate the profound burden they endure." 

However, Troye, a former employee of Trump, criticized the event on social media in a post on X, formerly Twitter, "Trump hosting a Jan 6 Awards Gala is absolutely horrid. Celebrating the people who endangered the life of his own Vice President & glorifying violence is a dangerous assault on our democracy & a disgraceful rewriting of history. We must all stand together against him." 

Her post was met with a lot of support from fellow Americans who echoed the same sentiment. @rad4kar slammed the Republican nominee, "I can't believe he is doing it during the election season. Nothing positive came out of Jan 6th. It should be a memorial for those who lost their lives not a Gala. We cannot let this guy back in the White House under any circumstances." 

More voices like @nicoleshodges agreed with Troye, "He's a disgusting traitor to America. He should be resoundingly rejected and shamed back under his rock." @MyAdoptedLife wondered, "I can't understand why we haven't heard about this in the media yet." @1Realnatalee called out Trump, "It's a giant slap in the face to the MPD and all Americans frankly. He absolutely does not care about this country." 

Jan. 6 was one monumental day in American history that created an unfathomable divide. The country watched in horror when violent rioters barged into the US Capitol building, smashing barricades to not let POTUS Joe Biden take over the power from Trump. While the attack was terrifying, the ex-commander-in-chief downplayed the incident, citing the election was stolen from him. 

Biden, at the time, said, "Trump's mob wasn't a peaceful protest, it was a violent assault. They were insurrectionists, not patriots. They were not there to uphold the Constitution, they were there to destroy the Constitution." Despite what Trump claims, at least 55% of Americans believe it was "an attack on democracy that should never be forgotten," per Washington Post/University of Maryland poll, per BBC.