'MAGA hat' student sues NBC for $275m over network’s ‘anti-Trump’ narrative

Complaint says network attacked teen by 'relying heavily on biased and unreliable sources without conducting any reasonable investigation of the circumstances'

Attorneys for the teenager seen in a viral video wearing a red “MAGA” hat while standing in front of a demonstrator at the Indigenous Peoples March has sued NBC Universal for $275m (£211m).

The lawsuit — which reportedly accuses NBC of pushing an “anti-Trump narrative” — is just the latest filed against news outlets who covered the supposed confrontation by lawyers representing high school student Nicholas Sandmann.

NBC attacked the teenager by “relying heavily on biased and unreliable sources without conducting any reasonable investigation of the circumstances surrounding the January 18 incident,” the lawsuit claims.

Video clips immediately posted online from the encounter seemed to show tension between the high school students — many of them wearing Donald Trump’s campaign merchandise — and the demonstrators at the Indigenous Peoples March, including Nathan Philips, an activist seen in the viral video with Mr Sandmann.

Longer videos released shortly after the incident have been used by some to refute the reported notion of a standoff between the teens and indigenous activists, however. Those more extensive clips showed Black Hebrew Israelites taunting people near the area in Washington where both the teenagers and the indigenous demonstrators were present.

The complaint continues: “NBCUniversal’s attacks on Nicholas included at least fifteen defamatory television broadcasts, six defamatory online articles, and many tweets falsely accusing Nicholas and his Covington Catholic High School ('CovCath') classmates of racists acts.”

Mr Sandmann’s attorneys have also filed massive lawsuits against CNN and Washington Post for $275m (£211) and $250m (£192m) respectively.

Todd McMurtry, one of Mr Sandmann’s attorneys, posted a Dropbox link to the lawsuit on Twitter Wednesday.

“Today, @LLinWood and I filed a $275,000,000 lawsuit against NBCUniversal on behalf of Nicholas Sandmann.”

He added, “The facts of the suit show the anti-Trump narrative NBC pushed so hard.”