In a momentous legal twist, former President Donald Trump’s $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN has been unceremoniously thrown out by a federal judge. The lawsuit, filed in October 2022, revolved around Trump’s discontent with the network’s reference to his election fraud claims as the “big lie,” likening it to Adolf Hitler’s tactics. However, U.S. Judge Raag Singhal, a nominee of Trump in 2019, recently ruled that the network’s words were mere opinion and not subject to defamation claims. This groundbreaking ruling has significant implications, and both sides are now pondering their next steps.
Late last Friday night, the gavel came down on Trump’s lawsuit as Judge Singhal expertly dissected the arguments. He eloquently opined that while CNN’s statements were indeed repugnant, they did not cross the legal threshold for defamation. With Trump’s opulent Mar-a-Lago resort nearby, the federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, became the center of attention during this high-stakes legal showdown.
Judge Singhal’s ruling made it clear that CNN’s use of the term “big lie” was nothing more than their opinion and not a verifiable fact. Despite Trump’s claims of an orchestrated effort to associate him with historical malevolence, the judge firmly asserted that such an association was implausible for any reasonable viewer. The term “big lie” might have historical connotations, but in this case, its use as a rhetorical device did not give rise to defamation claims.
Following the verdict, a spokesperson for Trump expressed agreement with the judge’s acknowledgement of CNN’s repugnant statements. However, whether Trump will pursue an appeal remains uncertain. As the former president maintains his position as the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, his legal battles may pose an interesting challenge for both state and federal authorities.
Throughout his political journey, Trump has shown a propensity to criticize media outlets that have not been to his liking, with CNN being a prominent target. This lawsuit was just one of many instances where Trump sought legal recourse against those he believed were treating him unjustly.
