Key takeaways:
- Former President Donald Trump’s $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal.
- The lawsuit was in response to the network’s use of the phrase “the Big Lie” when referring to Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election.
- Judge Singhal ruled that the references to “the Big Lie” were opinion and did not amount to defamation, and that the First Amendment protects the right of the media to express their opinions.
A federal judge has dismissed a $475 million defamation lawsuit brought by former President Donald Trump against CNN. The lawsuit was in response to the network’s use of the phrase “the Big Lie” when referring to Trump’s numerous false claims about the 2020 election.
U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal, who was appointed by Trump, ruled on Friday that the former president’s defamation claims failed because the references were opinions and not factual statements.
Trump had filed the lawsuit in October 2020 in South Florida, claiming that the network’s use of the phrase likened him to Adolf Hitler because “the Big Lie” has been used to describe lies told by the Nazis to justify the horrors of the Holocaust. He was seeking punitive damages of $475 million, claiming the references hurt his reputation and political career.
In his ruling, Judge Singhal said that the references to “the Big Lie” were opinion and did not amount to defamation. He added that the First Amendment protects the right of the media to express their opinions, even if those opinions are critical of public figures.
The dismissal of the lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal setbacks for Trump, who has faced numerous lawsuits since leaving office in January 2021. Trump has vowed to continue to fight for his legal rights, but the dismissal of his lawsuit against CNN is a reminder that the former president is not immune from the law.
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