Dating back to coverage from the 2016 presidential campaign, former President Donald Trump issued a 282-page letter to CNN last week, serving a "notice of intent to bring civil action for defamation."
"I have notified CNN of my intent to file a lawsuit over their repeated defamatory statements against me," Trump wrote in a statement. "I will also be commencing actions against other media outlets who have defamed me and defrauded the public regarding the overwhelming evidence of fraud throughout the 2020 election.
"I will never stop fighting for the truth and for the future of our country!"
The Ifrah Law letter dated Thursday, July 21 demands CNN retract coverage of Trump since 2016 within 10 days or face a defamation lawsuit. That deadline is Sunday.
"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," the letter to CNN reads. "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 letter outlines 34 exhibits of the alleged defamation, including published CNN reports, editorials and CNN broadcasts. Exhibit 1 starts with CNN analysis on former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's June testimony to the House Jan. 6 Select Committee.
"I hereby demand on behalf of President Donald Trump that CNN (1) immediately take down the false and defamatory publications, (2) immediately issue a full and fair retraction of the statements identified herein in as conspicuous a manner as they were originally published, and (3) immediately cease and desist from its continued use of 'Big Lie' and 'lying' when describing President Trump's subjective belief regarding the integrity of the 2020 election," the letter added.
The letter also called for the preservation of documents and records in preparation for the legal action.
"Finally, this letter also serves as notice to you and to your affiliated entities, officers, directors, journalists, correspondents, editors, employees, agents, assignees, and other persons acting on behalf of or in concert with you (collectively, 'you') to preserve any and all evidence related in any way to the above mentioned accusations you made and any other
accusations that you have published regarding President Trump (collectively, 'your accusations against President Trump')," the letter concluded.
The letter was addressed to new CNN CEO Chris Licht and CNN VP and General Counsel David Vigilante.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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