WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that President Donald Trump cannot be sued by protesters who said he incited a riot against them at a campaign rally in March, 2016.
The protesters alleged Trump incited violence against them at the rally in Louisville, when the then-candidate yelled at five different times during his 35-minute speech to "get them out of here."
The Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals said Trump's call to oust the demonstrators was protected by the First Amendment because his remarks did not include a single word encouraging violence, according to a TheHill news daily report.
"In the ears of some supporters, Trump's words may have had a tendency to elicit a physical response, in the event a disruptive protester refused to leave, but they did not specifically advocate such a response," Judge David McKeague wrote in an opinion joined by Judge Richard Griffin.
"The reaction of listeners does not alter the otherwise protected nature of speech." said McKeague, a George W. Bush appointee.
The court also said the protesters had failed to make a valid incitement-to-riot claim under Kentucky law.
