Judge Rules Trump Has No Presidential Immunity From 1/6 Lawsuits

A federal judge has ruled that Donald Trump was not acting in his official capacity as president at his 1/6 rally and had no presidential immunity.

The New York Times reported:

But in his 112-page order, Judge Mehta ruled that Mr. Trump’s actions that day had little to do with normal presidential duties like executing laws or commanding the armed forces and instead concerned something more personal: what the judge called Mr. Trump’s “efforts to remain in office for a second term.”

“To deny a president immunity from civil damages is no small step,” Judge Mehta wrote. “The court well understands the gravity of its decision. But the alleged facts of this case are without precedent.”

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

The 1/6 Rally Was Not A Presidential Event

Trump’s rally on 1/6 was not organized by the White House and was not on his daily presidential schedule. It was organized by his campaign for the purpose of keeping candidate Trump in office for a second term.

Trump was not acting as president, so the protections provided by the presidency do not follow him into the insurrection.

The ruling is significant because it means that Trump can’t avoid the civil lawsuits associated with the 1/6 attack and that if he was planning on using the presidency as a shield to defect legal jeopardy, the judge shot that down.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association