U.S. Judge Raag Singhal said that while CNN’s statements might have been “repugnant”, they were not defamatory
A federal judge, Raag Singhal, has dismissed the former president’s $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN.
Trump claimed that the network associated him with Adolf Hitler by describing his election fraud claims as the “big lie.”
However, Judge Singhal – who was nominated by Donald Trump in 2019 – ruled that CNN’s statements were opinions, not facts, and therefore not subject to defamation claims.
“CNN’s statements while repugnant, were not, as a matter of law, defamatory,” said the judge, sitting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
The lawsuit, filed in October 2022, cited five instances where CNN referred to Trump’s election assertions as the “big lie,” a phrase associated with Nazi propaganda.
Trump’s legal team argued that this wording deliberately connected him to a reprehensible historical figure.
Despite Judge Singhal’s ruling, a spokesperson for Trump acknowledged agreement with the judge’s assessment of CNN’s statements and stated that the network would be held accountable for its treatment of Trump and his supporters.
However, it was not mentioned whether Trump would appeal the decision.
Donald Trump has a history of attacking media outlets critical of him, with CNN being a frequent target.
Despite facing state and federal indictments, he remains the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
