Trump Defamation Lawsuit 'Doesn't Have Much Chance': Legal Expert
NewsweekOct 04, 2022
On Monday, former US Pres. Donald Trump sued CNN, alleging that the news network defamed him to hinder any future political campaigns he may pursue. CNN didn't provide immediate comment.
In the 29-page complaint, Trump's lawyers said CNN highlighted "any negative information about the Plaintiff" while "ignoring all positive information about him," adding that the news outlet tried to "use its massive influence – purportedly as a 'trusted' news source – to defame the Plaintiff in the minds of its viewers and readers."
Not only will it be virtually impossible to prove defamation in court, but this lawsuit does little other than remind us of all the reasons why political commentators compare Trump to other authoritarian leaders. It has little chance of progressing past a motion to dismiss and is primarily a rant-filled political manifesto.
After having asked CNN to make retractions regarding their false reporting - to which they responded by only ramping up their guerilla "journalism" tactics - Trump had no other choice than to go to court. This is just the beginning of the lawsuits against media organizations that covered Trump unfairly during his campaigns and as President, and he has every right to bring his concerns into the legal arena.
There's an 83% chance that Donald Trump will run for the office of President of the United States in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.