The Justice Department said that ex-President Donald Trump can be held legally liable for actions of January 6 insurrectionists (Picture: AP)

Former President Donald Trump can be sued by police for actions of insurrectionists during the January 6 Capitol riot.

The Justice Department said on Thursday that Trump can be held liable in court for the deadly 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

‘Speaking to the public on matters of public concern is a traditional function of the Presidency, and the outer perimeter of the President’s Office includes a vast realm of such speech,’ wrote attorneys from the Justice Department’s civil division.

‘But that traditional function is one of public communication. It does not include incitement of imminent private violence.’

Two US Capitol Police officers and 11 Democratic members of the House have sued Trump in an effort to hold him liable for physical as well as psychological wounds from the insurrection. The lawsuit was filed under a statute that allows for damages to be sought when force or intimidation stop government officials from performing their jobs.

Trump has argued that presidential immunity shields him from the suit.

But the Justice Department on Thursday told an appeals court to reject Trump’s claim.

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The Justice Department said that ex-President Donald Trump can be held legally liable for actions of the January 6 Capitol riot mob.