Trump defamation lawsuit against CNN kicked to the curb
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This is one example of Trump's contentious relationship with media agencies, which he calls "fake news" and frequently shows his anger against them on social media.
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Former President Donald Trump announces he is running for president for the third time at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, on November 15, 2022. (AP)
A federal judge dismissed a $475 million defamation case Donald Trump brought against CNN for calling his allegation that the 2020 election was rigged the "Big Lie".
In the lawsuit he filed in a US District Court in Florida in October, Trump claimed that the phrase used by the cable news network compared the former US President to Adolf Hitler's methods.
The lawsuit was dismissed on Friday by US District Court Judge Raag Singhal, who was chosen by Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
"There is no question that the statements made by CNN meet the publication requirement for defamation under Florida law," Singhal said in his ruling.
"The next question is whether the statements were false statements of fact," the judge said. "This is where Trump's defamation claims fail."
"The complained of statements are opinion, not factually false statements, and therefore are not actionable," Singhal said. "CNN's statements, while repugnant, were not, as a matter of law, defamatory.
"The case will, therefore, be dismissed."
In his defamation lawsuit, Trump claimed that the network's usage of the term "Big Lie" was a "deliberate effort by CNN to propagate to its audience an association between the Plaintiff and one of the most repugnant figures in modern history."
During his time in office, Trump had a contentious relationship with CNN and other important news organizations like The New York Times, calling them "fake news" and frequently showing anger against them on social media.
The twice-impeached Trump, who has insisted falsely that he defeated Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, will stand trial in Florida in May on allegations of mishandling top-secret government materials.
In addition, Trump is preparing for the possibility of being indicted in connection with separate state and federal investigations into his attempts to rig the 2020 election. These investigations are the subject of dozens of felony accusations in a New York case involving hush money payments to an adult star.
Earlier this month, he claimed that he had received a letter from prosecutors indicating that he is likely to be criminally indicted in connection with the violence at the US Capitol on January 6.
CBS News reported on Monday, citing sources, that former US President Donald Trump may face an indictment in a special counsel probe into the January 6 US Capitol riot as soon as Tuesday.
Trump claimed that he received the letter on July 16 and had "a very short four days" to report to a grand jury, "which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment."
Although opponent Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have voiced their opposition against the potential indictment, others, such as Democratic US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, said the indictment process should take place without any interference from political allies.
