Trump Asks Supreme Court To Revive CNN 'Big Lie' Defamation Suit
President Trump filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court on August 20, 2026 asking the justices to revive his dismissed defamation suit against CNN over its "big lie" coverage.[1]
The petition says CNN's use of the phrase "big lie" and accompanying imagery conveyed provably false factual accusations likening him to Nazi propaganda.[1] CNN must file its response by September 21, 2026, and the Supreme Court has no set deadline to decide whether to take the case.[1]
In March 2026 the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a 2023 district court ruling that found CNN's "big lie" references were protected opinion and not shown to be made with actual malice.[1]
In June 2026 the Supreme Court declined to hear a related defamation appeal by Alan Dershowitz, though Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch dissented and signaled interest in revisiting the "actual malice" standard.[1] If the justices take Trump's case, they could reconsider the legal test that governs defamation claims by public figures.
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📌 Key Facts
- On August 20, 2026, President Trump filed a certiorari petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review dismissal of his CNN defamation suit.
- The 11th Circuit in March 2026 unanimously upheld a 2023 district court ruling that CNN's "big lie" references were protected opinion and not shown to be made with actual malice.
- Trump argues CNN's use of the phrase "big lie" and associated imagery amounts to conveying provably false factual accusations likening him to Nazi propaganda.
- CNN’s response to the Supreme Court petition is due September 21, 2026; the justices face no deadline to decide whether to grant review.
- In June 2026, the Supreme Court declined to hear Alan Dershowitz's CNN defamation case, with Justices Thomas and Gorsuch dissenting and reiterating interest in revisiting the actual-malice standard.
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