Washington DC - President Donald Trump recently got hit with bad news regarding a number of ongoing civil lawsuits that seek to hold him accountable for the violence that took place during the January 6 Capitol riots.

On Tuesday, US District Judge Amit Mehta issued a 79-page ruling, arguing that a speech Trump gave near the White House just before the riots on January 6 was a political act, not an official one, as Trump and his legal team have repeatedly argued.

"President Trump has not shown that the Speech reasonably can be understood as falling within the outer perimeter of his Presidential duties," Judge Mehta wrote.

"The content of the Ellipse Speech confirms that it is not covered by official-acts immunity."

The ruling deals a damning blow to Trump's defense, which has leaned on a previous Supreme Court decision that presidents are immune from prosecution over anything that is deemed an official act.

Joseph Sellers, an attorney for Democratic lawmakers suing the president, told Politico they are "very pleased" with the decision," which will hopefully "pave the way to a trial in federal district court on these claims."

Trump's legal team, conversely, reiterated their claim that he was "acting on behalf of the American people" that day and vowed to continue fighting "against the Democrat Witch Hoaxes."