Things took a tense turn in a federal court hearing on Monday about former Republican President Donald Trump's role in the January 6 insurrection, when federal Judge Amit Mehta appeared to have little patience for Trump's version of the story.
Trump's lawyers attempted to claim that Trump told his supporters to behave "peacefully and patriotically" during the January 6 events. But Judge Mehta was having none of it, citing Trump's hours of silence before and during the storming of the Capitol.
Mehta bluntly shot back at Trump's lawyer, "Let's stick with the facts," before listing off the myriad ways Trump's behavior could have been construed as an endorsement of the deadly coup attempt.
His response left many people on social media cheering.
A federal judge dismissed Trump's lawyer's claim that Trump urged supporters to be peaceful on January 6, 2021. \u201cLet's stick with the facts," Judge Amit Mehta told Jesse Binnall, Trump's lawyer. Mic drop.— Civil Writes (@Civil Writes) 1641878872
The hearing was in response to three civil suits brought by Capitol Police and House Democrats Eric Swalwell and Bennie Thompson that allege Trump and his allies, including Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump Jr., Republican Representative Mo Brooks and far-right groups The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, directly instigated the attack on the Capitol.
Trump's lawyers are pushing for the suits to be thrown out of court on the basis of presidential immunity. During the hearing, one of Trump's lawyers, Jesse Binnall, argued that Trump had urged his supporters to be peaceful on January 6.
Binnall also ttempted to argue that Trump's rhetoric was no different than that of leftist Senator Bernie Sanders' in the lead-up to the 2017 shooting of GOP Representative Steve Scalise during a congressional baseball game practice.
Judge Mehta shot back that he was not "interested" in "whataboutism," before making it clear he was not about to let Trump's lawyers' version of events stand. He responded:
"Let's stick with the facts..."
"[For a] two-hour period, [Trump did not] take to Twitter or to any other type of communication and say, 'Stop. Get out of the Capitol. What you are doing is not what I wanted you to do.'"
"What would you have me do with the allegation that the president did not act?"
On social media, people applauded Mehta for his no-nonsense approach to the Trump lawyers' claims.
Judge Rebukes Trump Lawyer Claim That He Urged Peace on Jan. 6 .. \u201c Let\u2019s stick to the facts\u201d, he said https://www.businessinsider.com/judge-obliterates-trump-lawyer-claim-peaceful-protest-capitol-riot-2022-1\u00a0\u2026— \ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83c\udf73Chef Rocky\ud83c\udf0a#Resistance#ClimateActionsNow\ud83c\udf0f (@\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83c\udf73Chef Rocky\ud83c\udf0a#Resistance#ClimateActionsNow\ud83c\udf0f) 1641882643
"Let's stick with the facts." Words not often heard by Republican cult people.https://www.msn.com/en-US/news/politics/lets-stick-with-the-facts-a-federal-judge-obliterated-trumps-lawyers-claim-that-he-urged-his-supporters-to-be-peaceful-on-january-/ar-AASDsiI?ocid=sapphireappshare\u00a0\u2026— Kevin Smith (@Kevin Smith) 1641871903
Great article and Judge!!!\n\n"Let's stick with the facts," Judge Amit Mehta told Jesse Binnall, Trump's lawyer.https://news.yahoo.com/lets-stick-facts-federal-judge-210815438.html\u00a0\u2026— Patti Scozzafava (@Patti Scozzafava) 1641920777
Judge Amit Mehta checks Donald Trump lawyers for claiming he urged peace on Jan 6: \u2018let\u2019s stick with the facts\u2019 | The Independent\n\nDonald Trump wouldn\u2019t recognize a fact even if they put it in a McDonald\u2019s hamburger wrapper.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-lawyers-january-6-judge-b1990522.html\u00a0\u2026— Rhonda (@Rhonda) 1641897789
//Mehta also said the main question was whether Trump's actions and statements incited the violence.\n\n"Let's stick with the facts," Mehta said, adding that he wasn't "interested" in "whataboutism."//\n\nLove it.https://www.businessinsider.com/judge-obliterates-trump-lawyer-claim-peaceful-protest-capitol-riot-2022-1\u00a0\u2026— Thomas Wood \ud83c\udf0a (@Thomas Wood \ud83c\udf0a) 1641878125
Thought for the day: "Let\u2019s stick with the facts.\u201d \nNovel idea. And so, so simple. \nFacts. \nThank you Judge Amit Mehta.\n@foxnews \n@tuckercarlson \n@kayleighmcenany— Chicks Love Ball (@Chicks Love Ball) 1641940585
US District Judge Amit Mehta also rejected one lawyer's claim that Trump urged his supporters to be peaceful on that day, telling the attorney to "stick with the facts." \n\nWell Judge if we are going to stick to the Facts , I don\u2019t have anything to Say— tom \ud83c\udf0a (@tom \ud83c\udf0a) 1641867948
'Let's stick with the facts': A federal judge rebuked Trump's lawyer's claim that he urged his supporters to be peaceful on January 6\nI'm growing to love Judge Amit Mehta!https://www.businessinsider.com/judge-obliterates-trump-lawyer-claim-peaceful-protest-capitol-riot-2022-1\u00a0\u2026— Ima Troller (@Ima Troller) 1641864094
Trump isn't having a good month . . . republicans are abandoning ship, and now, Judge Mehta wants to stick to the facts. Facts? I can hear Trump now, "but, but, but . . ."— Dr. Jon Butler \ud83c\udf39 "We Will Not Be Silent" (@Dr. Jon Butler \ud83c\udf39 "We Will Not Be Silent") 1641860972
I see another lose in court for TFG\n'Let's stick with the facts': A federal judge obliterated Trump's lawyer's claim that he urged his supporters to be peaceful on January 6https://a.msn.com/01/en-us/AASDsiI?ocid=winp-st\u00a0\u2026— Larry Thompson #TheResistanceContinues Vote Blue (@Larry Thompson #TheResistanceContinues Vote Blue) 1641849914
Though Mehta, an Obama appointee, seemed least amenable to the Trump team's claims, he was also skeptical of the plaintiffs' claims that Trump's behavior constituted a conspiracy and seemed unsure about their assertion that it fell outside the parameters of presidential immunity from prosecution.
Judge Mehta's ruling on the hearing is still forthcoming as of this writing.
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