'Because President Trump said to': Over a dozen Capitol rioters say they were following Trump's guidance
Senate Democrats are focused on trying to tie a direct line between Trump's rhetoric and the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.
An ABC News investigation into the nearly 200 accused rioters facing federal charges for their alleged involvement at the Capitol -- based on court filings, military records, interviews and available news reports -- found that at least 15 individuals who stormed the building have since said that they acted based on Trump's encouragement, including some of those accused of the most violent and serious crimes.
Trump's lawyers have defended his comments at the Jan. 6 rally as ones that "fall squarely within the protections of the First Amendment."
"Mr. Trump, having been elected nationally, was elected to be the voice for his national constituency," his lawyers wrote in a brief last week.
-ABC News' Olivia Rubin, Alexander Mallin and Alex Hosenball
