US Judge Denies BBC’s Request to Dismiss Trump’s $10B Defamation Suit

Washington (GNP): A federal judge has refused to throw out President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the BBC, allowing the multi-billion-dollar case to move forward. US District Judge Jeffrey T. Kuntz announced the decision on Tuesday, rejecting the British broadcaster’s request to dismiss the suit.

Trump accuses the BBC of deceptively editing a documentary to make it look as though he incited violence. The film covers his January 6, 2021 speech, in which he told supporters to march on the US Capitol.

He is seeking at least $5 billion on each of two claims: one for defamation and one under a Florida consumer protection law. Kuntz kept the defamation claim alive but threw out the Florida consumer protection claim.

In a 40-page ruling, the judge said whether Trump can prove his claims and show damages will be decided later, at summary judgment or trial. That leaves the central question of harm open, even as the case advances.

The dispute centers on how the documentary was put together. It spliced two separate sections of the speech, which made it appear that Trump had explicitly urged supporters to attack the Capitol.

The BBC has apologized for the incident, which led to the resignation of several senior executives. However, it denies that the edit caused Trump any real injury.

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Kuntz noted the gap in time between the two statements. He wrote that this gap supports a reasonable inference that the broadcaster knew, or should have known, the segment could not be a truthful account of the speech.

Trump welcomed the decision in a post on Truth Social, calling it “A Huge Victory.” He added that he would keep fighting those who try to deceive the American people.

The case has not been smooth for him, however. Last month, a magistrate judge ordered him to give a deposition by December 11, after the BBC claimed he was avoiding its efforts to obtain sworn testimony. The court warned that failing to attend could bring sanctions, including possible dismissal of his lawsuit.

Kuntz said, “This was not trimming around the edges.”