President Donald Trump was expected to travel Wednesday to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with Rudy Giuliani to attend a hearing hosted by state Senate Republicans on the 2020 election, but the White House cancelled the trip late Wednesday morning.
CNN first reported Trump’s attendance late Tuesday night, which two White House officials confirmed to the Daily Caller on Wednesday morning. The officials, speaking anonymously as they had not been cleared to speak on the subject publicly, noted that the trip had not been formally added to the president’s public schedule and was still subject to change. (RELATED: Pennsylvania, Arizona And Michigan Set To Hold Public Hearings On Election, Trump Campaign Says)
The Trump administration informed the press of the cancellation as the traveling press pool was preparing to depart the White House around 10:45 am ET.
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 27: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani listens as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Briefing Room of the White House on September 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. Trump is preparing for the first presidential debate with former Vice President and Democratic Nominee Joe Biden on September 29th in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Joshua Roberts/Getty Images)
One official added that Giuliani, former New York City mayor and the president’s personal attorney, convinced Trump to take the trip, despite other advisors cautioning the president against it. Giuliani is overseeing the campaign’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Trump’s 2020 campaign announced Tuesday evening that Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Arizona will all hold similar hearings, where local Republicans are expected to speak and hear testimonials from witnesses alleging fraud in the 2020 election.
“It’s in everyone’s interest to have a full vetting of election irregularities and fraud,” Giuliani said in a statement. “And the only way to do this is with public hearings, complete with witnesses, videos, pictures and other evidence of illegalities from the November 3rd election.”
The hearing was supposed to be viewable here. Arizona is scheduled to hold its hearing Monday, Nov. 30, while Michigan’s is slated for Tuesday, Dec. 1.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece was updated at 10:55 am ET to reflect the White House’s decision to cancel the trip.