Donald Trump’s legal team referenced the freedom of expression used in hip-hop to defend his speech on January 6, 2021. The speech is under fire in a lawsuit accusing him of violating the Ku Klux Klan Act. The act protects federal officials from conspiracies aimed at obstructing their duties. Trump stands accused of doing exactly that by allegedly inciting the infamous riot at the U.S. Captiol. In documents obtained by AllHipHop, Trump’s lawyers drew parallels to Eminem’s track “’97 Bonnie & Clyde.”
“A rapper rockets to the top of the charts for his aggressive, provocative lyrics that become wildly popular nationwide, particularly among angsty teenagers. He is ranked as one of the most controversial lyricists of all time. Many of his lyrics describe explicit violent acts, including gun violence, rape, and a description of the rapper drowning his wife. While at times, the rapper’s lyrics suggest that his work is not intended to encourage or endorse actual violence, other lyrics suggest the contrary,” the filing explains.
Revisit Eminem’s “’97 Bonnie & Clyde”
A similar defense was made by a Pennsylvania rapper who posted about killing his wife on Facebook in 2014. The rapper, known as Tone Dougie, successfully argued to the Supreme Court that his posts were therapeutic. In doing so, he referenced “’97 Bonnie & Clyde.”
“Nothing in President Trump’s speech even came close to the far more incendiary language that the Supreme Court has held to be protected as a matter of law,” Trump’s lawyer further argued. He also referenced Trump telling his supporters to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.” He explained: “President Trump’s January 6 speech…is properly characterized as ‘strong protests against the government and prevailing social order’ – a context that demands the highest deference to speech and protection from censorship.” The lawsuit filing comes after Trump pardoned almost everyone who was arrested for partaking in the riot. He issued the pardons on his first day back in office after his inauguration, last week.
[Via]
