Former President Donald Trump gave a cryptic response to a reporter’s question on Saturday about his alleged efforts in trying to interfere with the 2020 presidential election.
While Trump was walking around the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, flanked by a large crowd, he was asked by a reporter whether he intended to overturn the 2020 election results. The query prompted a curt, six-word response from the former president.
“President Trump, did you intend to overturn the 2020 election,” the reporter asked him as the former president shook hands with people at the fairground’s livestock pavilion.
Trump responded, “You know the answer to that,” as he glanced back over his shoulder and walked away.
Brandon Bell/Getty
Galen Bacharier, a politics reporter for The Des Moines Register, shared a video of the exchange on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday afternoon.
Trump, the Republican frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race, was indicted earlier this month on four federal charges stemming from the Department of Justice (DOJ) probe into the deadly January 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol. The charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. The former president has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Trump has been a vocal critic of the probe into his alleged involvement in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election on January 6 when a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the case and referred to the indictment as fake and said it interferes with the 2024 election.
Newsweek reached out via email on Saturday to Trump’s representatives for comment.
Hundreds of people have been charged for their participation in the January 6 insurrection, which resulted in several deaths and nearly 140 police officers suffering injuries. Trump, who has expressed support for the Capitol rioters, said they protested because they agreed that the election was rigged by widespread voter fraud, an unfounded claim that lacks any evidence.
Meanwhile, Trump spent early Saturday afternoon walking around the fairgrounds in Iowa, shaking hands with the sizeable crowd.
Shortly after noon, the former president ventured inside the Iowa Pork Producers tent where he continued to greet throngs of supporters, according to media reports. Around 1:15 p.m. he spoke to the crowd inside the Steer N Stein restaurant, with hundreds more gathered outside, The Des Moines Register reported.
Despite his ongoing legal battles, Trump remains the clear leader of the Republican field, holding steady as the top choice of 53 percent of the GOP base. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is polling in second with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis coming in third among the GOP presidential contenders, according to results released Thursday by the Republican-leaning pollster Cygnal.
Trump’s followers showed their support during the Iowa State Fair on Saturday by mocking the Florida governor.
DeSantis, who was also campaigning at the Iowa State Fair, was flipping pork with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and other lawmakers, when supporters of the former president began chanting “we love Trump.” DeSantis was also greeted by a banner flying over the fairgrounds on Saturday morning that read, “Be likeable Ron!” right before he was set to give a speech.