Former President Donald Trump’s $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN has been dismissed by a federal judge. The lawsuit centered around CNN’s use of the phrase “the Big Lie” to describe Trump’s claims about winning the 2020 election.
Trump’s Accusations
In his lawsuit, Trump accused CNN of subtly comparing him and his supporters to Nazis by using the term “the Big Lie.” The phrase historically connects to Joseph Goebbels, the chief propagandist for the Nazis. Furthermore, Trump’s legal team highlighted instances in which CNN correspondents seemed to draw comparisons between him and Hitler, strengthening their defamation argument.
Judge’s Verdict
Judge Raag Singhal, who was appointed by Trump himself, ruled against the former president’s claims. Singhal maintained that although references to Hitler and Nazi allusions are considered offensive and distasteful in modern discourse, they do not constitute defamation unless they include false statements of fact. Singhal emphasized that CNN’s use of “the Big Lie” to describe Trump’s election challenges does not imply that Trump advocates for persecution or genocide against any group.
Trump’s Damages Request Denied
As a result of the judge’s ruling, Trump’s request for $475 million in damages was rejected. The court determined that CNN’s use of the phrase did not meet the defamation threshold, and no reasonable viewer would conclude that Trump endorsed such atrocious acts.
Although this legal setback poses challenges for CNN, it can interpret the dismissal as a victory in its legal battles against the former president.