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The art of perfection: How Trump survives even his worst blunders through sheer repetition 

From Jan. 6 to Iran and beyond, Donald Trump has shown an unmatched ability to survive political damage by repeating his version of events until it becomes part of the national debate

By Howard Kurtz Fox News

Published May 20, 2026 3:00am EDT

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Donald Trump is a master of revisionist history.

He can argue that TikTok is a national security threat and then that it’s crucially important to society.

Reminds me of when he famously said I could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose support and I thought he’s probably right – now, at least, among the MAGA diehards.

And he does it through the sheer power of repetition.

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President Donald Trump speaks at the White House. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

How many times have you heard that the Jan. 6 rioters, who he summoned to the Capitol, are great patriots? Despite the fact that they attacked and injured police officers, invaded members’ offices and were calling for Mike Pence’s hanging?

When that happened, even many Republicans thought Trump was finished. Big-name members of the GOP, along with the Democrats, denounced him in harsh terms.

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But Trump gave the same answer again and again. Flipping his usual law-and-order stance, he argued it wasn’t really a riot. It wasn’t that big a deal. After hearing him say that hundreds of times, some people thought, well, there must be something to it. He wouldn’t just be making it up. For all his unscripted digressions, Trump has an uncanny ability to stay on message.

He’s like the boisterous........

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