Trump is getting back in fighting shape, he just sued CNN in a federal court in Florida for defamation.
The lawsuit was filed on Monday by Trump’s attorney who claimed that CNN “has sought to use its massive influence — purportedly as a ‘trusted’ news source — to defame the Plaintiff in the minds of its viewers and readers for the purpose of defeating him politically, culminating in CNN claiming credit for ‘[getting] Trump out’ in the 2020 presidential election.”
Former President Trump is seeking $475 million in punitive damages, according to the lawsuit.
Trump talked about his plan to sue the network earlier in the summer by saying in a statement that he would “also be commencing actions against other media outlets who have defamed me and defrauded the public regarding the overwhelming evidence of fraud throughout the 2020 Election.”
Trump’s attorneys maintain that CNN “has undertaken a smear campaign to malign the Plaintiff with a barrage of negative associations and innuendos, broadcasting commentary that he is like a cult leader, a Russian lackey, a dog whistler to white supremacists, and a racist.”
They go further stating various people on the CNN network have used the term “Big Lie” to refer to Trump’s statements about the 2020 election and the voter fraud. The network has also attempted to associate Trump with Adolf Hitler.
If defamation is to be proven, lawyers must convince the court that journalists acted with actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth in their reporting.
This lawsuit from the former president comes amid big changes at CNN, which was recently sold to media conglomerate Discovery.
Chris Licht is the new president at CNN, he told network anchors in a meeting earlier this year that they should rein in the use of the phrase “the big lie” when referring to Trump’s election claims, worrying it was too partisan.
