Credit: Alamy

Eminem has been referenced by Donald Trump in legal filings for the January 6th riots as he and his team attempt to dismiss a lawsuit. Trump brought up a “rapper defence” to hit back at allegations that he provoked the riots at the Capitol Building in 2021 following his defeat in the presidential election.

The suit accuses Trump of conspiring to obstruct Congress from certifying the 2020 election. Rep Bennie Thompson cited a violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act, which was created to protect federal officials from conspiracies aimed at obstructing their duties.

Trump appealed after losing his dismissal attempt, claiming that his January 6th speech was a protected political expression. According to documents obtained by AllHipHop, his lawyers compared the situation to rap lyrics, bringing up past cases where violent lyrics were considered artistic expression.

Subliminally referencing ’97 Bonnie & Clyde’ from The Slim Shady LP, Trump’s filing reads, “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 documents continue, “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. President Trump’s January 6th speech is properly characterised as ‘strong protests against the government and prevailing social order’ – a context that demands the highest deference to speech and protection from censorship.”

Eminem has been outspoken about Trump in the past, calling him a “bitch” on Big Sean’s ‘No Favors’ from his I Decided album. He rapped on the song, “I’m anti, can’t no government handle a commando/ Your man don’t want it, Trump’s a bitch/ I’ll make his whole brand go under.”

During a performance in Glasgow in 2017, he dissed Trump once again by saying “motherfuck Donald Trump” on stage. “Scotland might have to be our new home because right now shit ain’t going so well in the States,” he said. “And I just want to take this moment right now to say motherfuck Donald Trump.”