Former President Donald Trump and his attorney sent a letter to the Cable News Network (CNN), threatening legal action against the news network.
According to the former president, the company made “repeated defamatory statements” against him throughout his presidency and since he returned to life as a private citizen.
“In accordance with Florida Statute § 770.02, CNN must publish a full and fair correction, apology, or retraction, in the same editions or corresponding issues of the website publication in which the aforementioned articles, transcripts, or broadcasts appeared and in as conspicuous a place and type as said original article, transcript or broadcast within ten (10) days from the date of service of this notice. Failure to publish such a correction, apology, or retraction will result in the filing of a lawsuit and damages being sought against you, CNN,” the beginning of the letter to the network said.
When discussing the claims made by Trump, the letter cites the network’s effort to push a narrative that the Trump campaign was connected to Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The formation of the Russia-Trump investigation is being probed by Special Counsel John Durham.
“In November 2016, Americans participated in a spirited presidential election, pitting Hillary Rodham Clinton against President Trump. President Trump earned 306 electoral college votes compared to Clinton’s 227. After the 2016 election, various members of the Democratic party gave numerous televised statements claiming the 2016 election was illegitimate. This included suggestion about Russian interference causing President Trump to win the election and regular referrals to President Trump being an “illegitimate” president,” the letter reads.
“CNN repeatedly allowed for assertions that President Trump was illegitimately elected to go largely unchallenged, including statements made by Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Jimmy Carter, Jerry Nadler, John Lewis, Dianne Feinstein, Marcia Fudge, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.”
Furthermore, Trump’s claims also pointed to CNN’s coverage of his comments about election integrity, specifically highlighting the decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to block the use of ballot drop boxes as used in 2020.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “CNN Building” by Bill Rand. CC BY-SA 2.0.
