A federal judge ruled this Wednesday that prosecutors can use video of former President Donald Trump telling the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” in a trial involving seditious conspiracy charges against members of the right-wing group, CNN reports.
District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that then-President Trump's comments showed “an additional motive to advocate for Mr. Trump (and) engage in the charged conspiracy” to keep Trump in power.
Trump made the comments during a 2020 presidential debate when then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden called on him to specifically rebuke the Proud Boys.
“Proud Boys – stand back and stand by,” Trump responded. “But I’ll tell you what. I’ll tell you what. Somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem.”
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Many, including former Proud Boys testifying before the Jan. 6 committee, thought the comment was an endorsement of the group.
Judge Kelly noted that defendant Enrique Tarrio, a former chairman of the Proud Boys, tweeted, “standing by, sir” immediately after the debate.
