Former U.S. President Donald Trump filed a defamation case against broadcaster CNN in a federal court in Florida on Monday.

A court filing showed that the former president is seeking $475 million in punitive damages.

Trump claims in his lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that the network had used its influence as a leading news organization to defeat him politically.

CNN declined to comment on the case.

Trump claims in the lawsuit that CNN has used such defamatory labels against him as "racist," "Russian lackey," "insurrectionist" and "Hitler."

The lawsuit comes as the former president faces a criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for retaining government records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office in January 2021.

During his term, Trump criticized CNN for spreading "fake news" over its coverage of his presidential campaign and administration and presenting the country "poorly to the world."

He kicked the news channel's chief White House correspondent out of a press conference for persistent questions on his migrant comments.

He also urged AT&T to fire CNN President Jeff Zucker. According to Trump's tweet, CNN's "hatred and extreme bias" toward him "clouded their thinking and made them unable to function."

"But actually, as I have always said, this has been going on for a long time. Little Jeff Z has done a terrible job, his ratings suck, & AT&T should fire him to save credibility!" Trump said.