WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's re-election campaign threatened to sue CNN Friday over what they allege is biased reporting, a move opponents denounced as an attempt to intimidate the media in general.

"Never in the history of this country has a President been the subject of such a sustained barrage of unfair, unfounded, unethical and unlawful attacks by so-called 'mainstream' news, as the current situation," said a letter to CNN from attorney Charles Harder, representing Trump and his campaign.

In a statement, CNN said that "this is nothing more than a desperate PR stunt and doesn't merit a response.”

Attorneys said such a lawsuit, if filed, would go nowhere.

“Any such lawsuit, at least based on the statute specifically identified so far, is nothing more than a PR stunt designed to rev up the president’s political base," said Bradley Moss, an attorney who specializes in national security and transparency issues.

Moss, who has done work for USA TODAY, said "facts and legal reality have no relation" to the threatened lawsuit.

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Neal Katyal, a former acting Solicitor General, said: "If the legal claims in his letter are any indication, I would think CNN will want him to sue and have a court decide this one."

Trump frequently sued rivals during his business career. This latest threat cites reports from a conservative group that obtained tapes of CNN employees discussing coverage of the president.

The complaint is the latest salvo in the long-running war between him and the news media, particularly CNN.

"But CNN is a voice that really seems to be the voice out there," Trump said before signing a health care executive order in Florida this month. "And it’s a terrible thing for our country. And we ought to start our network and put some real news out there because they are so bad."

After a Trump attack in August of 2018, CNN said in a statement: "Make no mistake, Mr. President, CNN does not lie. We report the news. And we report when people in power tell lies. CNN stands by our reporting and our reporters."

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Legal analysts pointed out that this would not be a libel suit. Trump's attorneys cite alleged violations of the Lanham Act, which is designed to prohibit trademark infringement and “false advertising”

"Trump suing CNN isn't about winning in court," Moss said. "The case will go nowhere. It's about appealing to his base with a PR stunt."

Contributing: John Fritze