Pro-Trump Influencer Benny Johnson Is Being Sued for Defamation by ICE Protesters
The plaintiffs say Johnson falsely told millions of viewers they attacked agents, and their lawsuit seeks more than $75,000 in damages.
- Harvard data scientist Kyle Frankovich and contract court reporter Maureen Foody filed a defamation lawsuit against podcaster Benny Johnson on Friday, alleging he falsely portrayed them as violent extremists in videos posted last October.
- The lawsuit stems from Johnson's October 2025 videos, filmed while embedded with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a Broadview, Illinois, ICE facility, which labeled peaceful protesters as "left-wing terrorists" who attacked officers.
- Detained but never charged, the plaintiffs argue Johnson knowingly circulated false claims, including that "all of this was false, which Mr. Johnson knew," to millions of viewers.
- Seeking damages in excess of $75,000, the lawsuit aims to hold accountable those who "serve as a mouthpiece for the government," according to attorney Karianne Jones.
- This case marks a rare defamation challenge against administration-aligned influencers, as Frankovich and Foody report lasting professional consequences and fear from being identified in Johnson's viral content.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Two protesters sue media personality Benny Johnson for ICE ride-along videos
Two Illinois protesters are suing conservative media personality Benny Johnson and his company, alleging he falsely portrayed them as violent criminals and “domestic terrorists” after a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in October 2025. The plaintiffs, Kyle Frankovich and Maureen Foody, filed the lawsuit over videos and social media posts Johnson produced […]
MAGA podcaster Benny Johnson hit with defamation lawsuit over videos branding ICE protesters ‘domestic terrorists’
Right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson went to an ICE protest with top Trump administration officials and appeared to have one thing in mind: creating rage-bait content portraying protesters as “domestic terrorists.” Now that content has landed him in a federal defamation lawsuit, MS NOW reports. Two Illinois residents who were detained while protesting outside an immigration […]
ICE Protesters Sue Benny Johnson For Defamation
MS Now reports: Two people detained outside a Chicago-area immigration detention center last year are suing right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson for defamation, saying he falsely portrayed them as violent extremists who assaulted federal officers. Illinois residents Kyle Frankovich, a data scientist at Harvard University, and Maureen Foody, a contract court reporter, filed the lawsuit Friday … The post ICE Protesters Sue Benny Johnson For Defamati…
MAGA influencer sued for defamation over 'terrorist' smears against protesters
Two Illinois residents who were detained outside a Chicago-area immigration detention center last year have sued right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson for defamation, accusing him of falsely telling millions of viewers that they were violent extremists who attacked federal agents.Kyle Frankovich, a data scientist at Harvard University, and Maureen Foody, a contract court reporter, filed the suit Friday in federal court in the Northern District of I…
Pro-Trump Influencer Benny Johnson is being sued for defamation by ICE protesters
The lawsuit says the prominent conservative podcaster falsely claimed the protesters were assaulting ICE officers during demonstrations at an ICE facility in Illinois last year.
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