Statuary Hall is turned into a TV set for January 6 amid GOP accusations of grandstanding

On the eve of the first anniversary of the deadly January 6 Capitol attack, Statuary Hall – where a number of solemn events have been held over the years – was being turned into a TV studio.  

A stage was set up in the middle of the ornate chamber, alongside a large camera crane and teleprompters. 

The room will be used Thursday by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, as they address the nation first thing in the morning from the U.S. Capitol Building. 

Later, CNN will take it over for a Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper anchored special  entitled, ‘Live from the Capitol: January 6th, One Year Later.’ 

A press release from CNN said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi along with nine House members, all Democrats besides Rep. Liz Cheney, would be joining the program. 

On Wednesday night, a number of Republican aides were aghast by the sight.

‘It’s tasteless to treat this anniversary like a Super Bowl spectacle to be milked for TV ratings, especially as Capitol staff who were in the building a year ago continue to grapple with their experiences that day,’ one senior Republican aide told DailyMail.com. 

By Wednesday night, Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building had been turned into a TV studio, complete with a large stage, a camera on a crane and teleprompters 

A teleprompter and TV monitor were set up in Statuary Hall in preparation for a Thursday night CNN TV special anchored by Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper

A teleprompter and TV monitor were set up in Statuary Hall in preparation for a Thursday night CNN TV special anchored by Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper 

A teleprompter can be seen set up in Statuary Hall on the eve of the first anniversary of the January 6 Capitol attack

A teleprompter can be seen set up in Statuary Hall on the eve of the first anniversary of the January 6 Capitol attack 

Another GOP aide also remarked on the event’s ‘Super Bowl’-like nature.   

‘It’s their 24/7. It’s their only issue,’ the source scoffed.  

‘As someone who knows people with PTSD, these members who have been so-called scarred by these events aren’t acting like it,’ the source added. ‘If they really had PTSD, they wouldn’t talk about it or parade the event like they’ve been doing for a year.’  

Another GOP Capitol Hill aide suggested Pelosi was turning the 1/6 anniversary into a spectacle to draw attention away from the large-scale Omicron U.S. COVID outbreak, which has left Democrats – in charge of the White House and both chambers of Congress – looking flat-footed and unprepared. 

‘Speaker Pelosi can’t go back in time to focus Democrats’ 1.9 trillion COVID relief bill on COVID testing, so she’ll play act a time when Trump was president by turning the former House chamber into a soap opera set,’ the aide said. 

‘There she’ll talk about how our democracy barely survived an out-of-hand protest like it was the battle of Hogwarts,’ the source added.   

A television crew sets up in Statuary Hall Wednesday in advance of Thursday's January 6 anniversary

A television crew sets up in Statuary Hall Wednesday in advance of Thursday’s January 6 anniversary 

Statuary Hall, which is the original House chamber in the U.S. Capitol Building, has been used for a number of both solemn and joyful occassions

Statuary Hall, which is the original House chamber in the U.S. Capitol Building, has been used for a number of both solemn and joyful occassions 

TV crews try out different configurations of chairs on the large stage constructed Wednesday in Statuary Hall

TV crews try out different configurations of chairs on the large stage constructed Wednesday in Statuary Hall 

Statuary Hall, which is the original House chamber, has been used as the setting for a number of both solemn and joyful occassions. 

It’s where Rep. Elijah Cummings and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lain in state. 

And it’s where the traditional inaugural luncheon takes place, among other celebrations. 

On Thursday, the remembrances will start there, but move elsewhere around the U.S. Capitol complex.   

At 9 a.m., Biden and Harris will address the nation from Statuary Hall. 

An hour later, Pelosi will give a statement on the House floor and offer a statement of reflection for House staff. 

At noon, Pelosi will lead the House of Representatives in a moment of silence.  

And then at 1 p.m., she’ll lead a discussion with historians in the Cannon Caucus Room. 

Testimonials from members will also take place there later in the afternoon. 

The day will conclude with prayer vigil on the Capitol steps at 5:30 p.m.  

And then the CNN broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. 

Two Republicans allied with former President Donald Trump – Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz – plan to hold their own press event while members give testimonials steps away.  

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk