Hasan Piker’s $72.5M Defamation Suit Over Lynching Quotes Should Be Tossed Out, Scott Jennings Says; Statements Are “Literally True,” CNN Contributor Claims

Scott Jennings has asked a federal judge to dismiss Hasan Piker’s $72.5 million defamation lawsuit, arguing that comments he made about Piker’s remarks on lynching were based on a video and were not actionable. The case centres on whether Jennings falsely presented Piker’s words as advocating a return to lynchings, and highlights a dispute over how political speech and its context should be treated in defamation claims.

In a court filing, Jennings’s lawyers say he did not create or alter the video, which they describe as coming from a Senate Republicans social media account, and had no reason to doubt it. They argue the video accurately captured what Piker said, while the question of what he meant is not verifiable enough to support a defamation claim; they also say Piker has not adequately alleged actual malice. Piker filed the $72.5 million suit on 27 October, citing Jennings’s 11 August podcast and social media comments.