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Trump sues CNN claiming defamation, seeks $475 million in punitive damages

Published 10/03/2022, 04:29 PM
Updated 10/03/2022, 07:15 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he attends a rally in Warren, Michigan, U.S., October 1, 2022.  REUTERS/Chery Dieu-Nalio/File Photo

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he attends a rally in Warren, Michigan, U.S., October 1, 2022. REUTERS/Chery Dieu-Nalio/File Photo

By Dan Whitcomb

(Reuters) -Former U.S. president Donald Trump sued CNN for defamation on Monday, seeking $475 million in punitive damages and claiming the network had carried out a "campaign of libel and slander" against him.

Trump claims in his lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that CNN had used its considerable influence as a leading news organization to defeat him politically.

CNN declined to comment on the case.

Trump, a Republican, claims in the 29-page lawsuit that CNN had a long track record of criticizing him but had ramped up its attacks in recent months because the network feared that he would run again for president in 2024.

"As a part of its concerted effort to tilt the political balance to the left, CNN has tried to taint the Plaintiff with a series of ever-more scandalous, false, and defamatory labels of 'racist,' 'Russian lackey,' 'insurrectionist,' and ultimately 'Hitler,'" the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit lists several instances in which CNN appeared to compare Trump to Hitler, including a January 2022 special report by host Fareed Zakaria that included footage of the German dictator.

Trump, who in 2020 lost a re-election bid to Democrat Joe Biden, has not said whether he would seek re-election.

In a statement, the former president said he would be filing lawsuits against other major media companies "in the coming weeks and months," and that he could even take action against a congressional committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he attends a rally in Warren, Michigan, U.S., October 1, 2022.  REUTERS/Chery Dieu-Nalio/File Photo

The lawsuit comes as the 76-year-old former president faces considerable legal woes, including a criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for retaining government records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office in January 2021.

Trump was sued last month by New York state Attorney General Leticia James, who has accused him of lying to banks and insurers over the value of his assets.

Latest comments

Reporting trumps actual lies is defamatory?
Trump truss is collusion was a lie, and CNN ran with it for three years!
Meant to type Trump-Russia
I don't know what hes worried about. Nobody watches CNN.
Go after the machine Trump!
weak little minion simping for a criminal commie lover
the maga movement supported proudly by Putin and the enemies of America.. bigoted, racist, like it's leader Donald Trump. its time to bring Trump down.... lock him up.
trump the con man with morals of an alley cat. serial liar, thief, cheating banks, customers, workers and the american government being investigated for bank fraud tax fraud election fraud and the espionage act. he was was willing to do anything to stay in power. including sedition, inserection, and treason. trump's Maga movement ...the movement to destroy American democracy....
Ac the brain washed sheep
trump looks terrible lately and sounds like a cornered dog! this loser criminal was a president? OMG
Better president than the loser in office now.
Typical leftist response.
trump the con man with morals of an alley cat. serial liar, thief, cheating banks, customers, workers and the american government being investigated for bank fraud tax fraud election fraud and the espionage act. he was was willing to do anything to stay in power. including sedition, inserection, and treason. trump's Maga movement ...the movement to destroy American democracy....
I voted for The Donald because he was the lesser of the two evils.His contribution to American culture is to remove the negative association of LAWSUITS and BANKRUPTCY. Neither of which are a positive contribution, IMO.
so Angus.. you voted to help trump destroy american democracy...
commie lover trump wants to bring north korea to america, drooling at the thought of how his bff kim controls the press, "the truth" and everything else there
Trump hates a free press that reports the truth about his crimes against American democracy. Trump has been using the same playbook that all tyrants have used to destroy a nation's democracy and gain power.
about time! America only understands when you take their money.
wwll, I guess the truth cannot be processed.
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