Rep. Mo Brooks on Incendiary Jan. 6th Speech: Trump Made Me Do It

In a July 2nd court filing, Brooks claimed he can’t be sued for his comments the morning of the insurrection because they were made in the course of his duties as a federal employee, and that challenging the outcome of the election “represented the interests of his constituency.” Brooks also attempted to pin some of the blame on Trump, arguing that the only reason he spoke at the rally was because the White House asked him to make an appearance. “But for the White House request, Brooks would have not appeared at the Ellipse rally,” the filing read, also noting that Brooks’ office and the White House reached an agreement about the “parameters” of the speech in question.