Integrity Score 490
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Former President Trump can be sued over his alleged role in inciting violence in the Jan. 6 insurrection on the Capitol, a federal appeals court ruled. The court held that Trump would not be protected by presidential immunity for remarks made before the attack, as his re-election campaign was deemed "not an official presidential act." Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan stated, "The Office of the Presidency as an institution is agnostic about who will occupy it next," emphasizing that campaigning for the office is not an official act. This decision aligns with the understanding that presidential immunity does not extend to unofficial actions, drawing on precedent from previous immunity lawsuits. Trump faces federal charges for using false claims of election fraud to subvert the 2020 election results. While his lawyers argued for presidential immunity, the court clarified that when a sitting president acts as a candidate for re-election, he functions as an office-seeker, not an office-holder. Trump may attempt to prove that his actions on Jan. 6 were conducted in his presidential capacity.