WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is not immune from civil claims that he incited a mob of his supporters to attack the Capitol on Jan, 6, 2021, a federal judge has ruled in one of the last unresolved legal cases stemming from the riot.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Tuesday that Trump’s remarks at his “Stop the Steal” rally, held on the Ellipse near the White House shortly before the siege began, “plausibly” were inciting words that are not protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

kAm%96 #6AF3=:42? AC6D:56?E 😀 ?@E D9:6=565 7C@> =:23:=:EJ 7@C >F49 @7 9:D y2?] e 4@?5F4E[ :?4=F5:?8 E92E DA6649 2?5 >2?J @7 9:D D@4:2= >65:2 A@DED E92E 52J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 ;F586] qFE |69E2 D2:5 %CF>A 42??@E 36 96=5 =:23=6 7@C 9:D @77:4:2= 24ED E92E 52J[ :?4=F5:?8 9:D #@D6 v2C56? C6>2C6?E @77:4:2=D]k^Am

kAm“!C6D:56?E %CF>A 92D ?@E D9@H? E92E E96 $A6649 C62D@?23=J 42? 36 F?56CDE@@5 2D 72==:?8 H:E9:? E96 @FE6C A6C:>6E6C @7 9:D !C6D:56?E:2= 5FE:6D[” |69E2 HC@E6] “%96 4@?E6?E @7 E96 t==:AD6 $A6649 4@?7:C>D E92E :E 😀 ?@E 4@G6C65 3J @77:4:2=\24ED :>>F?:EJ]Qk^Am

k9am}@E E96 7:CDE 4@FCE CF=:?8 @? AC6D:56?E:2= :>>F?:EJk^9am

kAm%96 564:D:@? 😀 ?@E E96 4@FCEVD 7:CDE CF=:?8 E92E %CF>A 42? 36 96=5 =:23=6 7@C E96 G:@=6?46 2E E96 r2A:E@= 2?5 :E 😀 F?=:<6=J E@ 36 E96 =2DE 8:G6? E96 ?62C\46CE2:?EJ @7 2? 2AA62=] qFE E96 fh\A286 CF=:?8 D6ED E96 DE286 7@C 2 A@DD:3=6 4:G:= EC:2= 😕 E96 D2>6 4@FCE9@FD6 H96C6 %CF>A H2D 492C865 H:E9 4C:>6D 7@C 9:D y2?] e 4@?5F4E[ 367@C6 9:D a_ac 6=64E:@? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A\42A:E@=\C:@E\;FDE:46\56A2CE>6?E\;24<\D>:E9\5e`fa47hg5g6_b6_hhdf`4h_gaefcde4Qm6?565 E96 AC@D64FE:@?k^2m]k^Am

kAm%CF>A’D =682= E62> D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E E92E %CF>A H2D 42CCJ:?8 @FE 9:D @77:4:2= 5FE:6D 2?5 E92E AC6D:56?ED 92G6 “23D@=FE6 :>>F?:EJ 7C@> 4:G:= 2?5 4C:>:?2= 4=2:>D 7@C 24ED 😕 E96:C D:?8F=2C C@=6]”k^Am

kAm|69E2 AC6G:@FD=J C67FD65 E@ 5:D>:DD E96 4=2:>D 282:?DE %CF>A 😕 2 u63CF2CJ a_aa CF=:?8 E92E %CF>A H2D ?@E 6?E:E=65 E@ AC6D:56?E:2= :>>F?:EJ 7C@> E96 4=2:>D 3C@F89E 3J s6>@4C2E:4 >6>36CD @7 r@?8C6DD 2?5 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E @77:46CD H9@ 8F2C565 E96 r2A:E@= @? y2?] e] x? E92E 564:D:@?[ |69E2 2=D@ 4@?4=F565 E92E %CF>A’D H@C5D 5FC:?8 9:D C2==J DA6649 A=2FD:3=J 2>@F?E65 E@ :?4:E6>6?E 2?5 H6C6 ?@E AC@E64E65 3J E96 u:CDE p>6?5>6?E]k^Am

kAm%96 42D6 C6EFC?65 E@ |69E2 27E6C 2? 2AA62=D 4@FCE CF=:?8 FA96=5 9:D a_aa 564:D:@?] w6 D2:5 %F6D52JVD CF=:?8 @? :>>F?:EJ 72==D F?56C 2 >@C6 QC:8@C@FDQ =682= DE2?52C5 2E E9:D =2E6C DE286 😕 E96 =:E:82E:@?]k^Am

kAm|69E2[ H9@ H2D ?@>:?2E65 3J s6>@4C2E:4 !C6D:56?E q2C24< ~32>2[ D2:5 9:D =2E6DE 564:D:@? 😀 ?@E 2 “7:?2= AC@?@F?46>6?E @? :>>F?:EJ 7@C 2?J A2CE:4F=2C 24E]”k^Am

kAm“!C6D:56?E %CF>A C6>2:?D 7C66 E@ C62DD6CE @77:4:2=\24ED :>>F?:EJ 2D 2 5676?D6 2E EC:2=] qFE E96 3FC56? H:== C6>2:? 9:D 2?5 H:== 36 DF3;64E E@ 2 9:896C DE2?52C5 @7 AC@@7[” E96 ;F586 HC@E6]k^Am

k9am~77:4:2= 42A24:EJ GD] @77:46\D66<6Ck^9am

kAm%CF>A DA@<6 E@ 2 4C@H5 @7 9:D DFAA@CE6CD 2E E96 C2==J 367@C6 E96 >@3’D 2EE24< 5:DCFAE65 E96 ;@:?E D6DD:@? @7 r@?8C6DD 7@C 46CE:7J:?8 s6>@4C2E y@6 q:56?’D a_a_ 6=64E@C2= G:4E@CJ @G6C %CF>A] %CF>A 4=@D65 @FE 9:D DA6649 3J D2J:?8[ “(6 7:89E] (6 7:89E =:<6 96== 2?5 :7 J@F 5@?’E 7:89E =:<6 96==[ J@F’C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 2 4@F?ECJ 2?J>@C6]”k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DE@C286]4@FCE=:DE6?6C]4@>^C642A^8@G]FD4@FCED]545]aafdbe^8@G]FD4@FCED]545]aafdbe]`cc]`]A57Qm%CF>A’D =2HJ6CD 2C8F65k^2m E92E %CF>AVD 4@?5F4E @? y2?] e >66ED E96 E9C6D9@=5 7@C AC6D:56?E:2= :>>F?:EJ]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DE@C286]4@FCE=:DE6?6C]4@>^C642A^8@G]FD4@FCED]545]aafdbe^8@G]FD4@FCED]545]aafdbe]`da]_]A57Qm%96 A=2:?E:77Dk^2m 4@?E6?565 E92E %CF>A 42??@E AC@G6 96 H2D 24E:?8 6?E:C6=J 😕 9:D @77:4:2= 42A24:EJ C2E96C E92? 2D 2? @77:46\D66<:?8 AC:G2E6 :?5:G:5F2=] %96J 2=D@ D2:5 E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 92D 96=5 E92E @77:46\D66<:?8 4@?5F4E 72==D @FED:56 E96 D4@A6 @7 AC6D:56?E:2= :>>F?:EJ]k^Am

kAm#6A] q6??:6 %9@>AD@?[ s\|:DD][ H9@ 2E E92E E:>6 =65 E96 w@FD6 w@>6=2?5 $64FC:EJ r@>>:EE66[ DF65 %CF>A[ %CF>AVD A6CD@?2= 2EE@C?6J #F5@=A9 v:F=:2?: 2?5 >6>36CD @7 E96 !C@F5 q@JD 2?5 ~2E9 z66A6CD 6IEC6>:DE 8C@FAD @G6C E96 y2?] e C:@E] ~E96C s6>@4C2E:4 >6>36CD @7 r@?8C6DD =2E6C ;@:?65 E96 =:E:82E:@?[ H9:49 H2D 4@?D@=:52E65 H:E9 E96 @77:46CDV 4=2:>D]k^Am

k9am‘’:4E@CJ 7@C E96 CF=6 @7 =2H’k^9am

kAm%96 4:G:= 4=2:>D DFCG:G65 %CF>A’D DH66A:?8 24E @7 4=6>6?4J @? E96 7:CDE 52J @7 9:D D64@?5 E6C>[ H96? 96 A2C5@?65[ 4@>>FE65 AC:D@? D6?E6?46D 2?5 @C56C65 E96 5:D>:DD2= @7 2== `[d__\A=FD 4C:>:?2= 42D6D DE6>>:?8 7C@> E96 r2A:E@= D:686] |@C6 E92? `__ A@=:46 @77:46CD H6C6 :?;FC65 H9:=6 5676?5:?8 E96 r2A:E@= 7C@> C:@E6CD]k^Am

kAm%96 A=2:?E:77DV =682= E62> :?4=F56D 2EE@C?6JD 7C@> E96 {2HJ6CD’ r@>>:EE66 7@C r:G:= #:89ED &?56C {2H] s2>@? w6H:EE[ E96 8C@FAVD AC6D:56?E 2?5 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C[ AC2:D65 E96 CF=:?8 2D 2 “>@?F>6?E2= G:4E@CJ 7@C E96 CF=6 @7 =2H[ 277:C>:?8 E92E ?@ @?6[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ 😀 23@G6 :E]”k^Am

kAm“%96 4@FCE C:89E=J C64@8?:K6D E92E !C6D:56?E %CF>A’D 24E:@?D =625:?8 E@ E96 y2?F2CJ e :?DFCC64E:@? 76== @FED:56 E96 D4@A6 @7 AC6D:56?E:2= 5FE:6D[Q w6H:EE D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E] “%9:D CF=:?8 😀 2? :>A@CE2?E DE6A E@H2C5 244@F?E23:=:EJ 7@C E96 G:@=6?E 2EE24< @? E96 r2A:E@= 2?5 @FC 56>@4C24J]”k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.