President wants protester lawsuit axed

President’s attorneys say judge’s ruling denies Trump’s free speech protections

Attorneys for President Donald Trump want a federal appeals court to dismiss a lawsuit by protesters accusing him of ordering his supporters to rough them up at a campaign rally in Louisville last year.

The Courier-Journal reports the request asks the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse an April ruling that the suit can proceed. U.S. District Court Judge David J. Hale said ample evidence could be seen as supporting allegations that the protesters’ treatment was a “direct and proximate result” of Trump’s actions.

The rally was televised, showing Trump pointing at the protesters and repeating “get ‘em outta here.”

Lawyers for the president say the judge’s ruling denies Trump’s free speech protections. The judge said the First Amendment doesn’t protect speech that incites violence.