President Trump’s lawyers submitted a federal court filing on Friday arguing the former candidate was not responsible for assaults against campaign rally attendees.
“Mr. Trump is immune from suit because he is President of the United States,” the lawyers wrote.
Three protesters from a Louisville rally last March alleged they were assaulted by Trump supporters after Trump yelled the infamous line, “get ’em out of here!” In return, the suing party is seeking damages from the two people who they say hurt them, as well as Trump’s campaign and the president himself.
“The Trump Defendants deny that Mr. Trump directed his statement to the crowd,” the filing stated. The document also cited Trump’s words “don’t hurt them.”
The Louisville lawsuit is one of two rally protesters have launched against the president and currently being considered in federal courts.
Trump’s lawyers have requested a jury trial in the Louisville suit. A federal judge rejected the defense’s argument last month that free speech rights protected Trump from any comments he made.
The same judge also refused to throw out the case based on the defense that the attendees assumed risk by attending.
“The doctrine of assumption of the risk was abolished in Kentucky decades ago,” the judge concluded.
