It was a point of pride and a line of applause for former President Donald Trump over the weekend: "I've never made concessions," he said, drawing one of the many big ovations he received on his return to Iowa on Saturday.
What Trump is less happy to talk about - and willing to go to court to prevent his loved ones from even speaking to a congressional committee - is his actions on and around January 6th.
New coverage suggests how much there is still to be learned or at least explained to Trump and his allies. A report by the Senate Judiciary Committee late last week documented the extraordinary pressure the defeated then president put on the Justice Department in a final attempt to overturn the election results just three days before the attempted Capitol uprising.
Former US President Donald Trump reacts during his speech during a rally at the Iowa States Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, October 9, 2021. REUTERS / Rachel Mummey
© Rachel Mummey / Reuters
Former US President Donald Trump reacts during his speech during a rally at the Iowa States Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, October 9, 2021. REUTERS / Rachel Mummey
As for Trump himself saying and doing on Jan. 6, ABC News’s Jonathan Karl reported that House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was initially dismissed by Trump when McCarthy told him he had to remove his supporters from the riot even though he did Trump shots reported were just fired from the house floor.
In revelations Karl details in his forthcoming book, "Betrayal," White House aides filmed several versions of the video message Trump would belatedly release that day. Earlier versions neglected to call on those rioting to disperse, according to Karl; the final version, of course, ended with Trump praising those who protested that day: "We love you. You are special."