Three years after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the man who prompted it remains the unquestioned leader of the Republican Party, while the riot itself has become a rallying cry for his supporters.

Despite the Justice Department pressing charges against more than 1,000 people linked to the insurrection, former President Donald Trump and other Republicans seem to espouse more and more false conspiracy theories about the riot and stoke the same election fraud lies that laid the foundation for the ransacking of the Capitol.

In its immediate aftermath, prominent Republicans criticized Trump and held him responsible. Now, thats almost hard to believe; many have since recanted and endorsed his 2024 presidential bid.

A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released this week found that the number of Republicans who believe Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election has dropped from 39% in 2021 to 31%, while 34% of Republicans believe the FBI was somehow in on the insurrection.

No one has been more involved in defending Jan. 6 participants than Trump himself. He has suggested pardoning rioters if he becomes president again. He has also aided those facing criminal prosecution by appearing at fundraisers for a nonprofit group that financially supported them, and he has vowed to stop Jan. 6-related investigations if he returns to the presidency.

A major focus of Trumps reelection campaign is to rewrite the history of that day, calling it beautiful and claiming that rioters had love in their heart. At a November rally, Trump called people imprisoned over the attack hostages, and even honored them by playing a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner that was recorded by Jan. 6 defendants.