"Trump's Support for Jan. 6 Rioters Intensifies Amid Looming Trials"

Donald Trump has intensified his support for the Jan. 6 rioters, promising to help them and referring to them as "hostages" and "patriots" while using dark and violent language. This escalation coincides with his own mounting legal troubles, including a civil fraud verdict and four criminal cases. Some Republicans are concerned that his misrepresentations of the Jan. 6 attack and the people involved could weaken him with general election voters. Trump's use of inflammatory language and his alignment with the rioters has drawn criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans.