January 1, Trump Files $475M Lawsuit Against CNN

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY…
1949: President Harry Truman signs the Mutual Defense Assistance Act (for NATO).

Former President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit in a Florida federal court against CNN for defamation.

In the 29-page complaint, Trump’s attorneys allege 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.”

Trump is seeking $475 million in punitive damages from the network.

The lawsuit claims 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.”

The former president’s lawyers cited several of CNN’s anchors and pundits using the term “Big Lie” when referring to Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent. The network did this to try to associate him with Adolf Hitler, the lawsuit alleges.

The network’s new president, Chris Licht, has made a few changes to CNN’s programming. He reportedly told network anchors that they should refrain from using the phrase “the big lie,” reasoning that it was too biased.

CNN has not commented on Trump’s lawsuit as of this reporting.

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Source: The Hill