Posted on 07/29/2023 10:14:36 AM PDT by Coronal
On Friday night, a judge dismissed former President Donald Trump's lawsuit against CNN in which the current 2024 front-runner for the Republican nomination claimed CNN’s coverage of his election lies equated him to Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.
Judge Raag Singhal, a Trump-appointed judge, ruled that CNN referring to Trump’s claims about the election being stolen as “The Big Lie” did not meet the criteria for defamation despite Trump’s belief to the contrary.
"There is no question that the statements made by CNN meet the publication requirement for defamation under Florida law," Singhal wrote. "The next question is whether the statements were false statements of fact. This is where Trump’s defamation claims fail."
Trump claimed that “the use of the phrase ‘the Big Lie’ constitutes defamation” because it “create[s] a false and incendiary association between the Plaintiff and Hitler.”
He also argued that CNN using “the Big Lie” is defamatory because it “has incited readers and viewers to hate, contempt, distrust, ridicule, and even fear” Trump, which caused “injury to the Plaintiff, the Plaintiff’s reputation, and the Plaintiff’s political career.” Because of this, “Trump claims that viewers and readers ‘understood that Plaintiff would be Hitler-like in any future political role.'"
Singhal evaluated five instances Trump argued the network defamed him, including written columns and on-air segments that ranged from comparing the former president's rhetoric with Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels to linking his efforts at narrative shaping to those used in "authoritarian states."
However, Singhal determined the critiques of Trump were "opinion, not actually false statements." Despite harsh criticisms of news outlets and readers, Singhal wrote that CNN or any other organization operating with a "political motivation does not establish falsity."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
If anyone is like Hitler, it’s Brandon.
Meanwhile, Jean Carroll is awarded $5 million from Trump because he defended himself and criticized her when she accused him of rape.
Translated:
Judge Raag Singhal ruled that CNN is political opinion, not news.
But we here at FR knew that already, and no one else will see past their biases to extract that significant detail.
*yawn*
I’d imagine that they could have invoked the Tucker Carlson defense.
“...when she accused him of rape....”
...and she doesn’t know where or when it happened. What is the justification the judge uses to let such a case go forward????
Trump sue’s everyone. That’s been his thing forever.
Getting one tossed out isn’t unusual for him. It’s just another excuse for a red meat Truth Social post.
The problem is that CNN’s viewers believe the network’s opinions are fact-based news.
The running joke (at least for me) is that it’s an IQ test.
It’s one of my “6 questions”, btw...
Vivek voter ???
CNN reminds me of child molesters.
How did the judge vote?
...Because OF COURSE it was thrown out.
They can never allow tRUMP to win, after all...
Gee, I thought it was the job of the Jury to decide which side was telling the truth.
Trump can’t win anything in the so-called U.S. Courts. They’re all run by NAZIS.
Not when it is a question of law. That is for the judge to decide. In this case, CNN filed am12(b)(6) motion to dismiss.
Yeah, cuz it’s only defamation if you accuse something like Dominion of voter fraud and are unable to prove it because all the evidence is sealed or has been destroyed.
It was bad enough that they stole the election, but with all their defamation suits going there way, they’re reaping a pretty hefty profit . . .
Philosophical question for you all: "If someone expresses a political opinion and no one hears it, is it really an opinion?"
Conservatives used to complain about frivolous lawsuits. Now they are in fashion.
“Self abuse”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.