Donald Trump lost his defamation lawsuit against CNN over "The Big Lie" after the federal judge in Florida dismissed the case.
The former US President filed the lawsuit against the news network last October at the US District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Donald Trump's 'Big Lie' Defamation Lawsuit Against CNN Dismissed
Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the CNN Debate in Miami on March 10, 2016.
In a stunning victory for CNN, The New York Times reports that a federal judge has dismissed Trump's $475 million defamation lawsuit against the network.
The lawsuit, filed in October 2022, alleged that CNN's use of the phrase "the Big Lie" to describe Trump's false claims about the 2020 election was defamatory. Trump argued that the statement associated him with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime.
The suit, filed by the former President, alleges that CNN carried a "campaign of dissuasion in the form of libel and slander." The MAGA leader also claimed that the news network "fears the plaintiff will run for president in 2024," the lawsuit says.
However, as per The Hill, the US District Judge Raag Singhal for the Southern District of Florida, who Trump appointed, found that CNN's statements were an opinion, not a fact. And as such, it was not liable under the defamation law.
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Defamation Suit Against CNN Over 'The Big Lie'
Former US President and 2024 Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump walks off the stage after speaking at a Republican volunteer recruitment event at Fervent, a Calvary Chapel, in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 8, 2023.
The decision further notes that "CNN's use of the phrase 'the Big Lie' in connection with Trump's election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people."
The Hill pointed out that "the Big Lie" is typically attributed to Nazi regime figures Hitler and Joseph Goebbels. It seemingly came from this quote, particularly attributed to Goebbels, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."
Trump's lawsuit cited the "The Big Lie" term, which CNN host Jake Tapper, writer Ruth Ben-Ghiat, and ex-commentator Chris Cillizza used.
According to the Associated Press, the former US President sought a whopping $475 million for punitive damages in his lawsuit against CNN. The MAGA leader argued that the term tainted not only his reputation but also his political career.
The ex-President of the US (POTUS) is the leading candidate for the upcoming 2024 GOP presidential nomination. He competes with other Republican figures, such as the rising star Ron DeSantis. Politico reports that the former POTUS is also facing his former Vice President (VP) Mike Pence. Nikki Hayley and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott have also joined the race.
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