Former US President Donald Trump sued cable television news network CNN for a whopping $475 million in damages on Monday. While claiming the damages Trump argued that the network had defamed him in an effort to halt his future political campaigns, reported the Associated Press (AP).
In the lawsuit filed in the US District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Trump accuses CNN of starting a campaign of “libel and slander” against him as the network “fears” he will run for the presidential election again in 2024.
“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,” said Trump’s lawyers in the 29-page complaint, as reported by AFP.
“As a part of its concerted effort to tilt the political balance to the Left, CNN has tried to taint the plaintiff with a series of ever-more scandalous, false, and defamatory labels of ‘racist,’ ‘Russian lackey,’ ‘insurrectionist,’ and ultimately ‘Hitler,” the complaint added.
While in power, Trump repeatedly attacked CNN and other major news outlets like The New York Times and branded them as “fake news”, which helped him resonate with his conservative followers. Similar lawsuits have been filed by Trump against big tech companies in the past but with little success, reported AP. His case against the microblogging site Twitter for removing him off its platform following the Jan. 6, 2021, US Capitol insurrection was rejected by a California judge earlier this year, the news agency reported.
Trump in a statement on Monday suggested that similar lawsuits would be filed against other news organisations. He also spoke of bring “appropriate action” against the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters, reported AP.
The lawsuit comes amid Trump contemplating to fight for the presidency in 2024, according to AP.