Donald Trump Files $475 Million Defamation Suit Against TV Network

Former United States President Donald Trump has reportedly sued CNN for about $475 million in damages.

The 76-year-old claims that the network defamed him, short-circuiting any future political campaign. The lawsuit was reportedly filed at the US District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is primarily focused on the term, “The Big Lie,” covering the widespread fraud that Trump claims caused him during the 2020 Presidential elections.

The former U.S. president claims that he was attacked by CNN as president, something that allegedly resonated with his conservative followers, the Hollywood Reporter reported.

"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," Trump’s lawyers stated in the 29-page complaint.

It was the latest legal move on Trump’s part, has filed similar lawsuits against other big tech companies that have unfortunately had little success.

This includes his lawsuit against Twitter for knocking him off its platform following the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection. That was eventually thrown out by a California judge earlier this year.

Despite Trump’s claims, several federal and local election officials have said that there is no evidence of election fraud that the 76-year-old former US prexy is alleging.

Trump’s lawsuit claims “The Big Lie,” a phrase with Nazi connotations, has been used about him more than 7,700 times on CNN since January 2021.

“It is intended to aggravate, scare and trigger people,” he said.

Further, Trump allegedly plans more lawsuits coming against other news organizations. Aside from that, he could also perform other acts against the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that involved his supporters.

The moves come amid Trump allegedly weighing in on whether he would run in the 2024 US Presidential elections.

Also, new CNN chief Chris Licht has urged news personnel to refrain from using the phrase because it was too close to Democratic efforts to brand the former president.