Frank: It is worth noting that his 74 Million votes in the General Election is the highest ever attained by any presidential candidate bar Joe Biden, who obtained 81 Million votes.

No: it was worth only to Trump who's always been obsessed by Barack Obama who got more votes in 2008 (69 millions)and 2012 (66 millions) than Trump did in 2016 (63 millions).

But these comparisons are complete bull: almost every elected US president received more votes than their predecessor; this is due entirely to population growth. In 2008, US pop. was about 304 millions, in 2020 about 330 millions. So Obama's 69 million votes from 2008 would be equivalent to 75 millions with today's US population. Simple demography (and simple math). Trump is still a loser, sorry.

Frank: But is seeking to make Trump and his supporters a martyr politically wise, especially given the violent origins of the American Revolution which have been used to justify violence ever since?

Violence against the tyrannical power of an absolute monarch (American colonies 1776, France 1789 & 1848, Ireland 1920) is one thing. Rioting to overthrow the deliberations legally and democratically elected representatives of the people in a republic of laws is quite another: more like Franco 1936.