Donald Trump's lawyers will argue this Wednesday that he should be immune from liability in regards to three civil lawsuits in connection to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the Washington Examiner reports.
A federal judge ruled back February that the lawsuit can move forward, denying Trump's claim that his actions were protected by presidential privilege.
Trump's lawyers now say Trump's remarks at the "Stop the Steal" rally before the riot were safeguarded by "ironclad presidential immunity as it relates to speech-making."
"The underlying question here is simple: is a president immune from civil liability when he or she gives a speech on a matter of public concern? The answer is undoubtedly, yes," said Trump's lawyers in court documents.
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The lawsuits were filed in 2021 by police officers and Democratic House members who say they were defending the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. and that Trump helped inflame tensions that led to the riot.
D.C. District Court Judge Amit Mehta wrote that Trump's remarks prior to the riot “is the essence of civil conspiracy" because he said people attending the rally were working "towards a common goal."
"To deny a President immunity from civil damages is no small step," the judge wrote. "The court well understands the gravity of its decision. But the alleged facts of this case are without precedent."
Read the full report over at the Washington Examiner.