Former President Trump sued CNN in federal court in Florida for defamation. In the lawsuit filed Monday, his lawyers say the network “has tried to use its massive influence, purportedly as a ‘trustworthy’ news source, to smear the plaintiff in the minds of its viewers and readers for the purpose of defeating him politically.” ”.
Trump is seeking $475 million in punitive damages, according to the suit.
Trump announced his intention to sue the CNN network earlier this summer, saying in a statement that he would “also bring action against other media outlets that have defamed me and defrauded the public regarding the overwhelming evidence of fraud during the 2020 election.” ”.
The former president’s lawyers allege that the network “has waged a smear campaign to smear the plaintiff with a barrage of negative associations and innuendo, broadcasting comments that he is like a cult leader, a Russian lackey, a dog whistle for supremacists. white, and a racist.”
He also cited anchors, personalities and pundits on CNN using the term “Big Lie” to refer to Trump’s repeated false statements about the 2020 election and voter fraud as evidence that the outlet is trying to associate him with Adolf Hitler.
The plaintiffs must prove in court that the journalists acted with genuine malice or reckless disregard for the truth in their reporting, a high legal hurdle to overcoming the protections of the First Amendment to the Constitution. The newspaper New York Times, for example, has not lost a libel case in over fifty years. The Trump campaign also sued the New York Times in 2019 for an op-ed that suggested a quid pro who with Russian officials. It did not prosper.
The former president’s latest lawsuit comes amid major changes at CNN, recently sold to media conglomerate Discovery. CNN’s new president, Chris Licht, has made several changes to the network’s programming and staff. Earlier this year, he reportedly told network hosts that they should control the use of the phrase “the Big Lie” when referring to Trump’s election claims. He considers her too partisan.
