Posted 1/7/2024, 9:18:20 PM
Trump Defends Jailed Rioters and Repeats False Election Claims at Iowa Campaign Event
- Trump spoke at a campaign event in Iowa, calling jailed Capitol rioters "hostages" and saying they have "suffered enough"
- He repeated false claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent and said he was indicted for "challenging the crooked election"
- Over 900 rioters have pleaded guilty or been convicted for roles in the Jan. 6 attack that Trump downplayed
- Supporters at his events have embraced conspiracy theories about the riot and downplayed its significance
- Trump holds a wide polling lead in Iowa ahead of the state's Republican caucus on January 15