Judge rejects effort by Trump to toss Jan. 6 lawsuits

By COLLEEN LONG
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has rejected efforts by former President Donald Trump to toss out lawsuits filed by lawmakers and two Capitol Police officers that claim his actions led to the riot on  Jan. 6, 2021. U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta says in his ruling Friday that Trump’s words during a rally before the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol were “plausibly words of incitement not protected by the First Amendment.” Trump had told his supporters to “Fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”