Trump sues CNN for defamation, claiming he's been labeled a 'racist' and 'Russian lackey'

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Emily Elconin/Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump filed a defamation suit against CNN on Monday, accusing the network of "trying to tilt the political balance to the left" amid concerns he will run for president again in 2024. Trump is seeking at least $475 million in damages.

Trump has long railed against the media, calling reports he doesn't like "fake news," and his relationship with CNN has been contentious for years. His lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Florida, claims CNN is attempting to "taint the plaintiff with a series of ever-more scandalous, false, and defamatory labels of 'racist,' 'Russian lackey,' 'insurrectionist,' and ultimately 'Hitler.'" The suit also refers to CNN describing his false claims of election fraud in the 2020 election as "Trump's big lie."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.