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Lindsey Halligan, an attorney for Donald Trump, said she planned to sue CNN for defamation.
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She said the network smeared the former president by calling his claims of voter fraud “The Big Lie.”
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The phrase “is actually linked to Adolf Hitler,” Halligan said on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast.
In an interview for Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, a lawyer for Donald Trump said he planned to sue CNN for defamation over the network’s reporting of the former president’s claims of voter fraud.
“CNN called Trump a liar and referred to his questions about voter fraud as The Big Lie, which is actually related to Adolf Hitler.” lindsey halligana Florida attorney said.
The German expression “the big lie” was coined by Hitler in his book “Mein Kampf” to describe a lie so egregious that no one would believe that someone “could have the gall to distort the truth in such an infamous way.”
On Wednesday, Trump launched a 282 page statement detailing his intention to sue CNN over its coverage of his unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, which the network called “The Big Lie.” In his statement, he defines the word “lie” as something the speaker knows or believes to be false.
“In this case, President Trump’s comments are not lies: he subjectively believes that the results of the 2020 presidential election generated fraudulent electoral activity in several key states,” the former president’s letter said.
Some legal scholars have argued Trump’s stance that he believed voter fraud falsehoods may be key to his defense, as it may make criminal intent more difficult to prove. However, Trump’s “willful blindnessto the facts of the case may, in fact, establish intent and serve as evidence.
Claims of electoral fraud perpetuated by the former president have been repeatedly debunked by the media, as well as by conservative politicians, Trump administration lawyersY allies of Trump himself.
“So it’s pretty simple: If you’re going to call someone a liar, back it up with well-founded, researched facts. Otherwise, don’t report it, don’t distort the truth,” Halligan said during an interview for the War Room podcast. . “CNN responded to our letter today advising us that they will not retract the statements, so I think they will be sued very soon.”
According to the latest information available Through the Florida Bar, Halligan previously worked at the law firm Cole, Scott & Kissane, which specializes in property insurance claims, but his profile has since been removed from their website. It is unclear where he currently practices law.
Halligan did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
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