Washington: Former US President Donald Trump sued CNN on Monday accusing the cable television of using its massive influence to defame him in the minds of its viewers.
The lawsuit filed in a US District Court in Florida sought $475 million in punitive damages from the television channel, news agency AFP reported
The 29-page complaint filed by Trump's lawyers said CNN was "waging a campaign of 'libel and slander' against him" as it "fears" he will run for president in 2024.
Trump accused CNN of involving in concerted effort to tilt the political balance to the Left by tainting him with a series of false and defamatory labels of racist, Russian lackey, insurrectionist and Hitler.
Trump never hesitated to brand CNN and other news outlets including The New York Times as "fake news", while raging against them on social media, according to AFP.
The 76-year-old leader is facing serious legal woes alongside a criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for retaining government records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office in January 2021, according to Reuters.