Pro-Trump media personality Benny Johnson is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by two protesters who claim he falsely labeled them as left-wing terrorists who allegedly assaulted federal officers. The legal action stems from an incident on October 31, 2025, outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing and detention facility in Broadview, Illinois. Plaintiffs Kyle Frankovich, a data scientist at Harvard University, and Maureen Foody, a court reporter, maintain that Johnson knowingly spread false claims through his online videos and social media channels. According to the complaint filed on Friday, Frankovich was merely observing and recording ICE agents from a designated free speech zone when he was thrown to the ground and arrested. Both plaintiffs were ultimately released without charges, but images of Frankovich with his hands zip-tied subsequently appeared in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruiting materials. The lawsuit details that Johnson stated in his videos that the detained individuals had assaulted ICE officers trying to clear the area. At the time the footage was captured, Johnson was embedded with then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and then Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino. Johnson, who commands millions of social media followers and whose footage was also broadcast on Fox News, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the litigation. The plaintiffs state that being branded as terrorists in widely shared videos has severely disrupted their lives, leaving them with ongoing fears of violent attacks, heightened personal security measures, and worries over potential professional fallout. Legal experts note that while federal government officials typically enjoy immunity from defamation lawsuits, targeting allied influencers exposes a broader strategy by the administration to utilize aligned online figures for content creation and messaging control.
Source: npr.org
