Washington, D.C.: A US appeals court has ruled that Donald Trump can be sued over what transpired in the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump’s claim that he can’t be sued because he was president at the time was rejected by the court.
The justices stated Trump was behaving “like a regular person running for president” when he ordered his followers to go to the Capitol. Presidents are only immune from lawsuits for official work activities, not for political matters. Some of the legal action against Trump is based on the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act, which states that you cannot intimidate or threaten a US officer while they are performing their duties.
The opinion was written by the court’s Chief Judge, Sri Srinivasan (who was appointed by Barack Obama). He stated that trying to re-elect a president is not the same as doing the president’s job. “Presidents often do their official duties when they talk about important public stuff, but not always,” he said.
The court did not rule that Trump could not defend himself. It simply stated that if the cases are heard by a lower court, he can try to demonstrate that he was functioning like a president at the time the events occurred.
Due to this ruling, Trump may be subject to legal action from law enforcement and legislators who demand that he accept accountability for the events of the Capitol attack. James Blassingame, one of the involved police officers, is hopeful. He continued, “I hope our case will help show that no matter who you are, you can’t break the law.”
Trump, who is considering a second presidential run in 2024, is already facing numerous legal issues. With this ruling, the list of charges he faces grows to 91! He is facing accusations from the justice department and a county district attorney of attempting to tamper with the 2020 election. Regarding his handling of classified documents after resigning as president, there is another case. Additionally, the Manhattan district attorney is investigating payments made in secret to the celebrity Stormy Daniels.
Recently, Trump has been busy defending his business in a New York court.a They say his company lied about how much its stuff was worth to get better loans and insurance.
As the legal issues pile up, it’s clear that these lawsuits will shape what happens next for Trump. The court’s decision is a big deal, marking a turning point in seeking justice for what went down on that intense day in January 2021.
Megan Davies is a reporter for White Pine Tribune. After graduating from the University of Toronto, Megan got an internship at the CBC News and worked as a reporter and editor. Megan has also worked as a reporter for Global Toronto. Megan covers economy and community events for White Pine Tribune.
