14 Oct DONALD TRUMP SUES CNN IN DEFAMATION SUIT
Former US President Donald Trump is suing CNN, seeking damages of $475 million and claiming that the cable TV network has defamed him.
In a lawsuit filed on 3 October 2022 in a district court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Mr Trump contends that CNN attempted to “use its massive influence, purportedly as a ‘trusted’ news source” to defame him “for the purpose of defeating him politically”.
Mr Trump claims in the lawsuit that the network has a long record of criticising him, and that it increased its attacks in recent months over concerns he would run for president again in 2024.
CNN has not yet commented on the case.
The 45th US president has not officially confirmed that he will seek re-election, although he has hinted that he may do so. His claim centres on CNN’s use of the term “The Big Lie”. It alleges that as part of a “concerted effort to tilt the political balance to the left, CNN has tried to taint [Mr Trump] with a series of ever-more scandalous, false and defamatory labels of ‘racist’, ‘Russian lackey’, ‘insurrectionist,’ and ultimately ‘Hitler’”.
The lawsuit identifies several instances of CNN allegedly comparing Trump to the Nazi leader, including a special report in January of this year by host Fareed Zakaria that included footage of Hitler.
In a statement last week, Mr Trump said he would be bringing lawsuits against other major news organisations, and threatened “appropriate action” against the congressional committee investigating the 6 January 2022 attack on the US Capitol.
A day after filing the lawsuit, Mr Trump sent out a fund-raising email asking supporters to donate to his cause, telling them “Remember, when they come after ME, they are really coming after YOU”.