Introduction

The former president’s newest legal challenge is set to arrive at the nation’s highest court: a defamation appeal against CNN over the network’s use of the phrase “big lie.” The case centers on Trump’s claim that the phrase linked him to Nazi propaganda and that CNN’s reporting was defamatory, although the lower courts have found the statement to be protected opinion.

Background

In 2023, a district judge in Atlanta dismissed Trump’s lawsuit, holding that the statements at issue were mere opinion rather than demonstrably false facts, and that Trump had not proved CNN acted with actual malice. The three‑judge panel in the 11th Circuit upheld that decision in March, with two of the judges being Trump appointees. The appellate court called the claim “unpersuasive” and “meritless,” noting that the term “big lie” cannot be treated as a factual assertion establishing wrongdoing on CNN’s part.

Supreme Court Timeline

The case is scheduled to be filed in the Supreme Court by the end of June, with an extension request for mid‑August. The late filing hopes to secure a place in the court’s docket before the end‑of‑term decision deadline. The justices are currently in a