Former President Donald Trump is planning to sue CNN for “repeated defamatory statements”.
Trump hired Ifrah Law, a Washington-based law firm, to file a Notice of Intent. In it he ordered the network, under Florida Statute § 770.02, to “publish a full and fair correction, apology, or retraction.” He demanded a retraction on every article published about him that was defamatory, saying their failure to comply would result in a lawsuit.
“Failure to publish such a correction, apology, or retraction will result in the filing of a lawsuit and damages being sought against you, CNN,” the document warned.
Trump’s legal team also warned that he plans to take similar action against any news outlets that he feels “defamed and defrauded the public” about the results of the last election.
“I have notified CNN of my intent to file a lawsuit over their repeated defamatory statements against me,” Trump said. “I will 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. I will never stop fighting for the truth and for the future of our Country!”
One of the claims that the former president wanted CNN to retract was that he was “illegitimately elected” in 2016 thanks to interference from the Russian government.
He also wants them to stop referring to his protests of the 2020 election as “The Big Lie” because it ties him to Adolph Hitler. The document stated, “In this instance, President Trump’s comments are not lies: He subjectively believes that the results of the 2020 presidential election turned on fraudulent voting activity in several key states.”
It went on to complain that the network treats him unfairly when compared to other major public figures like Stacey Abrams, Jussie Smollett and Andrew McCabe.
President Trump has been fighting the mainstream media for years. While his lawsuit is interesting, it will be a high bar to actually get it taken up in court since he is a public figure. Do you think it should be easier for politicians and celebrities to sue media outlets?
