According to the US Department of Justice, immunity as president does not protect Donald Trump from civil lawsuits in connection with the storming of the US Capitol in early 2021, according to an assessment by the Department of Justice published today.
She had been requested by an appeals court reviewing several civil lawsuits against the former US President over his behavior shortly before the storming of the House of Commons in Washington.
On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the seat of the US Congress, where the Republican’s election defeat by Joe Biden was to be authenticated. A crowd incited by Trump violently entered the building, killing five people. Two Capitol police officers and several US House Representatives are trying to hold Trump accountable in court for physical and psychological injuries they sustained during the attack. They’re asking for damages.
Trump had argued that his “absolute immunity” as president protected him from such claims for damages, including for actions “outside the scope” of his office. The Ministry of Justice has now come to a different conclusion: Public speeches on matters of public interest are a traditional task of the President and the “external framework” covers a wide field. However, the president’s immunity does not protect against incitement to violence.
