system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: If slander is illegal in the US, how can presidential candidates run smear campaigns or attack their opponents with blatant lies?
gpt
Slander, in most of the US, is a civil tort, and not a crime. In order to enforce it, you have to sue them, and that generally doesn't work out well for anyone in a political campaign.

But beyond that, it's important to note that there is a different standard for slander and libel for people in the public eye. You have to show actual malice, and not just stating something erroneously to be able to prevail in court.