Scott Jennings, a CNN anchor, asked a federal court on Tuesday to dismiss antisemitic streamer Hasan Piker’s $72.5 million defamation lawsuit and said that when he said Piker made racist statements, it was a protected interpretation of Piker’s words.
“Mr. Jennings’ filing today puts great trust in the U.S. Constitution, the truth and the right of Americans to speak, even if Mr. Piker doesn’t like what they have to say,” Benjamin Chew, a lawyer for Jennings, told JNS.
Piker sued Jennings on Oct. 27 over an Aug. 11 broadcast, in which the commentator accused Piker of advocating for lynching black voters. Piker said that excerpts from the October 2024 livestream omitted context showing that he was mocking a black conservative commentator and using sarcasm.
Lawyers for Jennings, who is one of the most pro-Israel commentators on a major news network, said that Piker failed to sufficiently allege actual malice and that Jennings interpreted Piker’s remarks in a way that is constitutionally protected.
“The dispute is over whether those statements reflect what he really meant, which is not sufficiently verifiable to be actionable as defamation,” the filing states.
It also cites other statements attributed to Piker, including that “America deserved 9/11” and that he “would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time.” It says that those remarks support the way that Jennings interpreted Piker.
“These additional statements only lend further credence to an interpretation that Mr. Piker’s comments about lynching and being a racist could accurately reflect his views,” the filing states.
Piker’s complaint alleges that Jennings damaged his reputation and earning potential. It also suggests that Jennings attacked him to improve his prospects for a Trump administration position.
Lawyers for Jennings said that even a potential career benefit would not establish actual malice. The motion, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Nov. 10, seeks a dismissal of Piker’s claims of defamation, defamation by implication and false light.
