Former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn and his family have launched a $75 million defamation lawsuit against news broadcaster CNN.
The reasoning behind the lawsuit, according to the Flynn family, is due to CNN airing a video the family felt portrayed them in a bad light.
The video, which was originally uploaded to Twitter on July 4th of 2020 and then subsequently aired by CNN in February of 2021, depicts Flynn and his family reciting the oath of far-right conspiracy theory cult QAnon.
Watch the video here:
Since we are on the topic of Michael Flynn, never forget he was recorded taking the "QAnon oath." Flynn is no stranger to treasonous activities.pic.twitter.com/4TiL2mDsN4— Christopher Bouzy (@Christopher Bouzy) 1622506007
QAnon—commonly referred to as a conspiracy theorist cult—alleges there is a group of Satanic, pedophilic, cannibals that run a global sex-trafficking ring. It is also thought members of this "global elites" group conspired against former President Donald Trump during his presidency and cost him his reelection in 2020.
Flynn's brother and sister-in-law are the driving forces behind the lawsuit. Despite making the oath on video, they have come out publicly denying any ties to QAnon.
The family claims CNN took the video out of context and associated the family with the conspiracy cult which has since ruined their reputation. They have even gone so far as to argue associating their family with QAnon is as slanderous as calling them "Nazi sympathizers."
They are instead claiming the words recited in the video were not in fact the QAnon oath, but rather a loving family statement to each other in celebration of the holiday that just so happens to be the same as the QAnon oath.
The court filing for the lawsuit claims that "it was not an oath of allegiance to QAnon, or any kind of oath at all. It was a simple, family, July 4 statement of support for each other."
Twitter is skeptical, however.
This is because the video, which was originally posted on Twitter by Flynn himself, came with the hashtag #TakeTheOath and even included the QAnon tagline "Where we go one, we go all."
Michael Flynn\u2019s family is suing CNN over a report showing them reciting the QAnon oath.\n\nThe Flynns' defence is that they were reciting a family motto that just happens to be identical to the QAnon oath.\n\nWhat are the chances\u2026https://www.vice.com/en/article/akgny8/michael-flynns-family-that-qanon-oath-video-is-just-our-family-motto\u00a0\u2026— David Gilbert (@David Gilbert) 1625661856
Even if this preposterous claim was true it would still be the case that they were *ALSO* reciting the QAnon oath— Sedition Track (@Sedition Track) 1625682938
Whose family doesn't record themselves reciting a pledge about family and togetherness that is exactly the phrase spoken by Q zealots? \n\nTalk about a weird coincidence. https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1412637108284559364\u00a0\u2026— Josh Cunningham (@Josh Cunningham) 1625686400
This post was just weeks after the unknown figure(s) behind the QAnon group—known only as 'Q'—commanded his followers to pledge their allegiance to the cult by—you guessed it—taking the QAnon oath.
I'm not a lawyer, but it\u2019s bizarre to see anyone argue that the "Digital Soldier Oath" doesn't signify support for QAnon or isn't an oath.\n\nThe Flynn family's words from that July 4th 2020 video were taken from a Q drop posted a few weeks earlier which commanded "take the oath." https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1412637108284559364\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/xDJc7vuzUK— Travis View (@Travis View) 1625649762
Completely random that our old family motto is the exact same thing as the QAnon motto, totally unreleated that our video was also two weeks after a Q Drop told people to make such videos'. What a random occurrence who could have seen it coming?https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1412637108284559364\u00a0\u2026— Joe Roche (@Joe Roche) 1625675469
In addition, Michael Flynn has showed public support for the cult and has even spoken at QAnon events.
Many followers of the conspiracy even believe Flynn is working with Trump to take down the aforementioned group of satanic, pedophilic baby-eating cannibals who used Jewish Space Lasers to start wildfires during Trump's administration to discredit him.
Regardless, the Flynn family is still adamant they have no ties to the QAnon group and are intent on suing CNN for defamation, claiming the broadcasting network took their video out of context.
Good luck with that.
