Venue nixes Trump-inspired event following warning of possible influx of white supremacists

19 July 2022

The owner of a New York-based venue that was scheduled to host the Trump-inspired "ReAwaken America" tour next month has announced his plan to cancel the upcoming event. On Monday, July 18, Scott Donaldson — the owner of Main Street Armory — sent an email to announce his decision to cancel the event.

According to Business Insider, Donaldson wrote that he "made his decision after 'careful thought' and in response to an outpouring 'of concern from our community, both good and bad.'"

"I'd like to say that the Main Street Armory is an equal opportunity and non-political venue," Donaldson's statement read, according to Spectrum News. "We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, etc."

"I believe everyone has the right to their own opinions and beliefs," he continued.

The tour was initially set to make pitstops in Rochester, N.Y. on August 12 and 13 at Donaldson's venue. Since kicking off in April, it has visited numerous red states including Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas, its website points out.

Organized by the conservative podcast host, Clay Clark, the tour — which has featured a number of far-right keynote speakers like MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, InfoWars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, Roger Stone, and former U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn— has been criticized and panned as a "hotbed for far-right extremist groups like QAnon," per Business Insider.

According to Baptist News Global, some Christian leaders have also expressed concern about the tour, suggesting it "promotes Christian nationalism that pushes 'anti-democratic, pro-violence and Q-Anon-inspired ideology.'"

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