Trump Defamation Lawsuit Against The BBC Will Proceed

A federal judge on Tuesday allowed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC to proceed, while dismissing his claim that the broadcaster engaged in unfair trade practices.

Trump sued the British publicly funded broadcaster over edited clips of a speech that made it appear he had directed supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The case is one of several lawsuits Trump has filed against news organizations over coverage he dislikes.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz in Florida said Trump had plausibly alleged that the BBC damaged his reputation and knew or should have known the clip was misleading. The ruling does not determine whether Trump has proved those claims.

Trump called the decision a “huge victory” in a social media post. “We will continue fighting against, and defeating, all of those who try to deceive the American People!” he wrote.

A BBC spokesperson said the broadcaster was surprised by the decision but respected the court’s authority and remained confident in its position.

Reuters reports the BBC has acknowledged that the edits were misleading and apologized to Trump, but denies it is liable for defamation.

Trump’s lawsuit, filed in December in federal court in Florida, alleges the BBC defamed him by combining portions of the speech in which he told supporters to march to the Capitol and urged them to “fight like hell.” The edit omitted a section in which he called for peaceful protest.

The edited speech appeared in a BBC “Panorama” documentary shortly before the 2024 presidential election, which Trump won. A leaked internal BBC memo cited the edits as evidence of potential political bias, triggering a public relations crisis and prompting high-level resignations.